Full Circle
by Laurie-Lee
Summary: ***Formerly titled Time to move on*** What goes around, comes around they say. Theresa Crane is getting her sweet revenge on anyone who ever crossed her.
1. Default Chapter

_**Ethan's last betrayal**_

Without a simple knock on the door, Ethan entered the serenity of the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. He knew Theresa would be waiting for him impatiently. He'd called her earlier to tell her they needed to talk. It'd been months since he'd chosen Gwen over her again and he'd come up with a crucial decision. If he wanted his wife to get better, he had to make sure she'd be able to have Jane around. For that, he had to sue Theresa for full custody of their little girl because he knew she would never allow Gwen to be around the baby. It was the only solution for him.

Walking reluctantly to the living room, he took a calming breath. He hated the fact that he would once again hurt Theresa, a woman he still cared deeply for. She was not only a woman he'd loved with all his might but also the mother of his child. As his gaze fell upon her, his heart stopped. She looked so beautiful with her long black hair pulled in a braid, reading a magazine on the couch while their daughter peacefully slept at her side in her car seat. _What the hell am I doing here? I can't do this to her. I promised I would let her raise Jane and help her if needed._

He'd decided on leaving as quietly as possible and deal with the duo formed by his mother-in-law and wife once he'd be home when he heard her voice.

"Ethan! I didn't hear you knock."

"I didn't knock actually. I didn't want to wake up our sleeping angel." he said, turning back towards her. _Oh God! Why did I surrender to Rebecca? Wait. Maybe I can convince Theresa to let Jane be around Gwen sometimes._

"Oh. Why don't you sit down? Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thank you." he replied, sitting down.

"So, what did you have to talk to me about?"

"It's about our baby, Theresa. You know how much Gwen is attached to her. I spoke with Dr. Jenkins earlier today and we came to the same conclusion. To heal properly and get better, she needs to have the little girl around."

"No!!! Absolutely not! There's no way I will ever let her touch Jane again! She had her way too long already or have you forgotten she kidnapped her and kept her away from us for three whole months?"

"Look, I knew you'd think that way but please reconsider. Try to put yourself in Gwen's shoes for a minute."

"Ethan, if our roles were reversed, she'd do the same thing. You know it as well as I do."

"Yes, but that's not the point. You aren't _her_. I know you have a kind heart Theresa. If you're not doing this for Gwen then do it for me. I need for her to get better!" Staring right into his eyes, Theresa showed no emotions. She couldn't let him know how much the reminder of his choice he'd just thrown in her face was shattering her heart again. She'd been so sure he would be true to himself and choose her once and for all. But when the name of his wife had left his mouth, she'd known their love had meant nothing to him. She'd been a fool to wait, fight and scheme for him the past three years. She'd completely lost her time.

"Do it for you? Hell no! I gave so much Ethan, too much for you. I can't sacrifice for you anymore. I have my daughter to think and take care of. I've got my life to rebuild since you decided it wasn't worth a thing. You destroyed a big part of it when you chose Gwen five months ago. And now, I need to work on building a new life for me and Jane, eventually getting my son back so I can finally be happy with my complete family."

"You don't seem to understand..." he begun but Theresa wasn't about to listen.

"What I understand Ethan is that you couldn't care less about what we had. All you care about is that heartless monster of yours you call wife. And you say you NEED her to get better? Well, I don't give a damn about your need for her to heal. She took so much from me already! My home, my job as well as my siblings', my son. God, she doesn't care about anyone else but herself! Well, no! NO! I won't let her ruin my _entire_ life!" Getting up angrily, she walked to the kitchen. Ethan watched her pour herself a glass of orange juice and turned his gaze on his sleeping daughter. _I'll be doing the right thing. My wife needs you Jane. You're going to help your step-mommy into getting better then I'll convince Theresa to have shared custody. I won't take you permanently from your mommy._ Giving the baby a quick kiss on the forehead, he took the custody papers in his interior breast pocket and walked to the kitchen where Theresa stared into the bay window at the lake behind the house.

"Look Theresa, I know you want what's best for Jane and I want that too. But right now, Gwen needs her and I will not let her go insane because you're too selfish to help her. Here." Handing out the papers, he waited carefully for her to turn around and look at his hand.

"What are those?" she simply asked, point blank.

"Custody papers." A look of disbelief crossed her pretty features.

"You're suing me?"

"Exactly. That's the only way I can ensure my wife's healing. You leave me no choice Theresa."

"You sick bastard!" She slapped him as hard as she could. "After promising you'd allow me to raise our girl on my own, even help me if I needed, you dare go back on your word! Fox was so right when he said you couldn't keep your promises. You aren't worth the cheapest piece of shit! Get out of my house! Now!" She pushed him but he wouldn't budge.

"I'm so sorry Theresa. I wish things could be different but I just can't fail Gwen." He tried to make eye contact with her but she kept on avoiding his gaze.

"Go to hell and get out of my house!"

"I'll come back in three days to get the signed papers."

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"I'm doing what's best for everyone Theresa."

"Keep on believing that and you'll end up as psycho as your snobbish whiny little bitch of a wife!"

"Gwen is not..."

"I don't care! God help me Ethan, get out of my house or I'll scream bloody murder!" Knowing she wouldn't hear him out anymore, he walked back into the living room and gave his daughter one last kiss.

"I'll get you soon Jane and we'll be a happy family with Gwen and Ethan Martin."

"The hell you will! You and your psycho wife will never get your hands on my granddaughter!" he heard a voice boom behind him. "Wasn't it enough to break my daughter's heart yet again? Wasn't it enough to take her firstborn away from her and adopt him? No, of course not! You also have to take her daughter away. Too bad, that's not going to happen! Mark my words Ethan Winthrop, hell will freeze over before you get to put one finger on my Theresita's daughter. Understand?" Martin Fitzgerald's gaze flashed with pure hatred as he looked upon the man who had proved to be a chicken times and times again. "Now, get out before I get you out myself and kill you in the process." On that note, Ethan left the house. Once in his car, he took his head in his hands. _Dear God, what have I done? _Looking at his reflection in the front mirror, he sighed. _Come on Winthrop. You did what was best. You did that for Gwen, the woman you love and chose to spend the rest of your life with. Assume your choice now._

* * *

Up at the Crane Mansion, Gwen Winthrop was pouring herself a glass of the finest wine of Harmony. Finally, she'd get everything she wanted. She would have two beautiful children without lifting a finger or ruining her perfect figure. Theresa's son was already hers by adoption and soon, Jane would follow.

"Oh Mother! Things couldn't be more perfect! Ethan is going to take Jane's custody from the bitch and we'll finally be the happy family I always wanted to have!" Lifting her glass of wine up to her Mother's, she smiled happily. "To my future life with Theresa's children and my lovely husband!"

"Hum, yeah. If I was you, I wouldn't be so confident. I greatly doubt Ethan will have the balls to hurt his precious Theresa again." Skeptical, Rebecca Hotchkiss still too a sip of her wine to please her daughter. _God Gwennie, it seems to me you're in another world. When are you going to learn the little chalupa won't let go of her child without a fight?_

"Wait until I tell that to Sheridan! She's going to be so happy. She knew how much I wanted to have a daughter to replace Sarah." Observing her empty ring finger, the strawberry-blond woman sighed. _Sheridan won't be happy of you taking her sister-in-law's second child at all Darling. It was bad enough that you adopted her firstborn. I don't even want to imagine Luis' reaction when he's going to learn about this._

"Of course sweetie! Hum... Why don't we go for a swim outdoor? I could ask Phyllis to bring down your son so he could enjoy the warmth with us."

"That's a great idea. Taking a good sun bath will do me some good. I'll call Sheridan later." Making her way to her bedroom, she changed into a nice black bikini and went back downstairs to the pool area. Seeing her adopted son play in the water with his nanny, she smiled. _Oh Theresa, soon enough, I'll have everything you ever wanted and you'll be left with nothing._

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Theresa finds out an old friend of hers has betrayed her.

Fox receives a surprising visit.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	2. Beginning of the end

_**Beginning of the end**_

_Note: This chapter might contain mild language. Be warned._

_Author's note: __Okay, I changed a lot of things for the sake of this story._

_One__, it begins in October 2005 so Jonathan doesn't exist and Justin Hartley is still Fox._

_Two, Whitney had her baby. However, instead of putting him up for adoption, she kept him in order to benefit of the Crane money and power._

_T__hree, Gwen kidnapped Jane for three months before being discovered. Upon returning to Harmony, Ethan had her undergoing therapy sessions. Theresa did press charges but they were dropped because of the medical expertise proving Gwen's behavior had been caused by a drug interaction. Despite this, Ethan did not try to take Jane from her because he deemed she'd been through enough with the temporary paralysis and his choice of remaining with his wife._

_Four__, Julian's marriage to Rebecca crumbled after he found out she'd used him to get her hands on Theresa's son, subsequently giving him to Gwen and Ethan. He quickly divorced her and reunited with Ivy after his mother (and Martin) returned._

_F__ive, Ivy decided to give up on Sam once Grace accidentally stumbled on old pictures David carried of him and John's true mother. Cutting his losses, David decided to leave town with his son without exposing her. After Katherine Crane returned, effectively changing Alistair _and_ Julian, she reunited with the latter, remarrying him in an intimate ceremony._

_Six__, Alistair was deeply affected by his wife's return and changed for the better. For once, I wanted him to be on Theresa's side without the evilness he usually possesses._

_Seven__, Chad's mother wasn't Eve Russell but really Crystal Harris, meaning he is in not way related to Whitney and Miles is not a product of incest. Julian is truly is father though, making him Fox, Fancy and Pretty's half-brother. But, everyone thinks he is Eve's son._

_Eight__, Beth is not Alistair's daughter and actually aborted the child she carried from Luis. Thus, Marty does not exist._

_Nine__, Sheridan did suffer from amnesia but never got together with Antonio/Brian. She simply stayed on St. Lisa until she recovered her memory, thanks to Doc's treatment. Once back in Harmony, she found out her mother had returned and upon receiving Alistair's blessing, reunited with Luis. Sheridan didn't forgive her father and brother for what they'd done to her right away but eventually softened. She and Luis do not live in the Crane Cottage but have a house of their own._

_Ten,__ storywise, Theresa came clean to Fox about having slept with Ethan the morning after it happened. Also, the DNA tests on the twins were done after she had the removal procedure, invalidating any knowledge she could have had pertaining to Jane being her child._

_And finally, __please take in consideration that Little Ethan and Sarah were born respectively in 2002 and 2003 BUT I'm SORASing them. As of the beginning of this story, Theresa's son is 5 and Sarah would have been/will be 4 (Yes, she'll appear in the story but with a twist of my own). Only sweet Jane Gabrielle will remain the right age, starting off as a 10 month-old._

_Now, enough of my babble and on with my imagination! Good reading!_

Holding the custody papers in her hand, Theresa made her way up to the Mansion and didn't stop until she was on the porch. She intended on making it clear to Ethan that she would not sign them, come hell and high water. He'd have to fight her tooth and nail but she would be more than ready to fight back. After everything he'd put her through, he would see who Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald really was. Her father's return to the family had changed her and her two near-death experiences had made her stronger. Now, she would finally have all her family behind her and all the support she would need. Knocking on the door, she waited patiently and smiled as she recognized the maid who opened the door.

"Miss Theresa! How lovely to see you this morning. I guess you're here to see the young Mr. Crane."

"No. Actually, I am here to see Ethan. Is he around?" The maid was about to answer when another voice spoke.

"You're still here to see him after what he's done to you? Damn Theresa, I thought you'd have grown tired of him." Smiling, she walked to Julian and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She'd become quite friendly with Julian after he'd decided to give Sheridan and Luis a try as well as when he and Alistair had helped rebuilt the Lopez-Fitzgerald house. All of that because of a miracle.

Martin had returned to Harmony with a safe and sound Katherine Crane and things had gotten back to normal. Sure, it had not been easy for the Crane patriarch to forgive his wife for leaving him with their two children behind but she'd explained to him how she'd gotten in an accident and lost her memory. As for Martin, as soon as he'd land a feet in town, he'd ran right into Pilar's waiting arms. Everyone thought he was dead but he'd been captured by some Mafia mens in Bermuda. That's where he'd found Alistair's wife. Hell-bent on returning home one day, he'd worked for the Dragonettis for as long as he could. A plot to kill the Godfather had finally given him a chance to flee with Katherine and they'd come back as soon as they could.

"Great way to say hello and good morning, Julian." She smiled and he laughed a bit. "And if I am here to see Ethan, it's not because I still want him. It's because I want to make it clear that I will not sign the custody papers he gave me."

"What? Custody papers?"

"Yes. He's suing me for full custody of Jane."

"Why on Earth would he do that?"

"To help his 'dear' wife heal and get better. He tried to convince me into allowing Gwen around my daughter but I refused." Julian couldn't believe his ears.

"I never thought he'd do that. Well, not that you're not interesting my dear but I have a meeting to attend this morning. Of course, if I miss it, Father will figuratively kill me so I should hurry up but keep me updated. It's always a pleasure to chat with you. Take care and I should be over to your house tonight. Your mother invited me over with Chad, Ivy and Fox."

"I'll see you tonight then. Have a good day Julian."

"You too." She watched him go away and turned to Vera who was waiting to tell her something.

"Would you like something to drink or eat?"

"No thank you. I think I'll just go over in the library and wait for Ethan."

"Alright. If there is anything I can do for you, just come and ask, I'll be in the kitchen." Once the maid was gone, Theresa had just stepped in the library when she heard Gwen's chilly voice.

"Come back here at that instant young boy! This is no way to treat your mother!" Clenching her fists, Theresa contained the rage slowly building up inside her. _How dare she call herself his mother? _

"You are not my mommy! My mommy has soft long black hair and is a thousand times prettier than you are. You're ugly and no matter how much you'll try to convince me you're my mommy now, I'll never believe you. I hate you!"

"You little!" Gwen tried to grab the boy but he ran out of the living room as fast as he could. His escaping instinct fully in gear, he didn't even notice his mother in the library. Glancing back to the door hiding her rival. Theresa took a deep breath. _I swear Gwen, if you ever touch my son badly, I'll rip every little blonde hair of yours off your head. Now, I'll have to ask Fox to keep an eye on Little Ethan._

"He really has Theresa's fiery temper. Too bad it will get him in trouble." The voice was quite familiar to her. _Whitney? What the hell are you doing with Gwen?_

"God help me! He's going to drive me insane!"

"It would be a good idea to start thinking about sending him off to boarding school."

"I already tried to talk Ethan into it, Whitney, but Fox came to the rescue." _Oh no bitch! You're not sending my little boy off to boarding school. I'll kill you before it happens. Thank God Fox is watching upon him._ Theresa took a chair and put it right next to the door linking the living room to the library. She wanted to listen to every single thing Whitney and Gwen could possibly say to each other.

"Well, I can assure you _my fiancé_ will not be interfering with your plans anymore Gwen. He's got my son and I to take care of now. He won't have time to watch upon his little brother."

"It's a very good thing. So, how is Fox getting acquainted with Miles?"

"Oh, everything is going pretty fine actually. His firm belief in my baby being his son and not Chad's is playing in my favor. I've got him all wrapped up around my finger and plus, I can enjoy the advantages of the Crane money." _Oh my God! Chad is really the baby's father! How could you lie to him and use Fox? Don't you have any morals?_

"You're just like me. I love manipulating Ethan like I do. He's such an easy puppet. I wanted Ethan Martin, he gave me the boy. I want his little sister, he's going to give her to me on a silver plate."

"You're such a good actress Gwen. Everyone believed you'd really lost it when you attacked Theresa at the hospital and kidnapped Jane. Your little number with her being Ashley along with Sarah and Nathan being alive was good too. You almost got me." _What? It was just a play? That's just rich Gwen! Wait until I get my revenge; you're going to eat the dust._ "And of course, convincing Ethan to sue Theresa for full custody of his daughter was a brilliant idea."

"You know what dear? I would not have succeeded without you. Thank you for helping me actually."

"No problems. It's about time Theresa gets what she deserves. To be honest, I'm terribly tired of 'perfect little Miss Lopez-Fitzgerald, prettiest girl in Harmony'. She got her poisoned claws into every cute guy I knew and wanted. My gosh, she even got Fox for a while but I tell you, if she ever tries to have him back, I won't let her. He's mine. Miles and I are his new family."

"I don't think she's interested in Fox. He's a good friend of her yes but I'm sure she still plans on stealing my husband from me." That was it. Theresa had enough. If she stayed there another minute, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist the urge she had of barging in there and ringing both Whitney and Gwen's necks. _I have to find Fox. He needs to be told the truth. I can't let him be with that gold-digging, back-stabbing slut. She's just like Gwen. And to think I thought of her as my best friend! What a fool I've been._ Slowly making her way upstairs, she knocked on Fox's bedroom door.

"I'm sorry Theresa but Mr. Crane is down the hall in Little Ethan's bedroom." Turning on her heels, she noticed her favorite maid standing in the doorway of Ethan and Gwen's bedroom.

"Thank you Phyllis." Without letting the maid any time to reply something, Theresa walked down to her son's room and knocked softly.

"Go away whoever you are! We're busy!" she heard Fox's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

"Fox, it's me. Please, unlock the door." Immediately, the lock was removed and Theresa was being drawn inside by both her son and her best friend.

"Mommy!" Ethan Martin shrieked before jumping in her arms. He was so happy to have his real mother with him instead of the horrible Gwen.

"Hey baby." she whispered back, caressing her little boy's blond hair.

"Did you come here to take me back with you? Please, say yes!" The sight of her son's pleading face was disturbing enough to haunt Theresa for weeks. He seemed so fragile, she felt her heart melt.

"I would love to sugar but I can't. Not yet. You're going to have to be a good boy and be patient. But don't worry, Mommy is going to come back and take you away from his hell soon."

"Ethan Martin? Who are you talking to in there?" They all heard Ethan's voice suddenly coming from outside. _Shit!_ Fox read in her mind and quickly hid her in the nearest wardrobe. It was a close call as Ethan appeared seconds after Fox had shut the door.

"As you can see, he was talking to me. Got a problem with that?" Surprised by his half-brother's harsh tone, Ethan quickly backed off.

"Not at all. Hum, have you seen Theresa today?"

"No. Why?" From inside the wardrobe, Theresa tried to concentrate on what was being said.

"Nothing really. It's just that she's supposed to come by to give me some papers."

"Papers? Concerning what?"

"I am suing her for full custody of Jane. Gwen needs to get better and the only way Theresa will ever allow our daughter to be around my wife is if she's forced."

"What the f*ck is with you Ethan? Don't you think you've hurt her enough? You destroyed her completely four days ago man! You led her on and then you dropped the bombshell that you'd chosen Gwen over her for what? The fourth time maybe! What are you waiting for? For her to commit suicide?"

"Look, if you don't mind, I'd like to have this conversation somewhere else. Little Ethan doesn't need to hear that."

"Newsflash _half-bro_, he already knows about that. He knows that you've hurt his mommy pretty bad again and that if you continue this way, you're going to cause her death."

"Shut up Fox! Not here!" _Oh, it's just so rich of you Ethan! Let me give you a piece of my mind._ Exiting the wardrobe in which she'd been hiding, she got into her ex's face.

"Shut up yourself! Do you really want me to believe you do care about my son? That you want what's best for him? If so, you're one sick son-of-a-bitch! I suggest you leave my child alone tonight and go to your 'oh-so-lovely' wife. A talk with her concerning the manners she has when around Ethan Martin would maybe do her some good. Oh, and here!" She threw the custody papers in his face. "They aren't signed and they won't ever be. If you want Jane, you're going to have to fight me in court. I won't give her up that easily." With that, she took Fox's hand and exited the room.

"You're a bad daddy Uncle Ethan. I want to be alone." The words hurt Ethan deeply and he quickly left, hurrying to make sure no one would see the hot tears welling up in his eyes. _You're doing the right thing Ethan. You're doing it for Gwen, your wife... The woman you love. But why does it hurt so damn much?_

* * *

Back in Fox's bedroom, Theresa was staring at the view of Harmony from Raven Hill as she waited for him to get out of the shower. She'd locked the door in case someone would want to interrupt. She didn't need Whitney to surprise her there. _How am I going to tell him without breaking his heart?_ She jumped when she felt two strong arms encircle her waist.

"I didn't know you were that stressed. You weren't like that when we were together. In fact, if my memory is good, you loved when I did this."

"I still love it Fox. It's just that now is not a good time. I have something important to tell you." She turned to face him. "Something I feel you need to know. I never lied to you about anything Fox. Not even when we were together and I had to sleep with Ethan to get pregnant because I thought I'd miscarried. I told you that and we agreed to end up the relationship in good terms. Remember the pact we made that very morning?"

"Yes. To always be honest with each other. No doubts or lies between us."

"Well, I'm fulfilling that promise today."

"What's going on Theresa? You know you can tell me everything." Their mouths were only inches away but they could feel each other's breath on their respective lips. The temptation was in the air and both of them were surprised by the amount of will they had to use in order to hold themselves back from kissing. _How can that be? I love Whitney and Miles. They are my life. Why do I feel so attracted to Theresa?_

"It's not something easy to say." she whispered, feeling the last string of her will on the verge of breaking. _Stop that Theresa. Stop that now! You have to at least tell him first. You'll reflect on your feelings for him later!_

"What is it about?" Taking one big breath, she looked right into her friend's eyes.

"Whitney."

* * *

_Next on Time to move on_:

Theresa makes a shocking declaration!

Fox pays a nice, albeit very final, visit to his beloved.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	3. Digging your grave

_**Digging your grave**_

_WARNING! Mild language here!_

"What about Whit? Is she fine?"

"Yes. She's downstairs, chatting with Gwen in the living room. It looked to me they're having a good time."

"Gwen?" He was surprised beyond belief. Whitney had never been in really good terms with the blonde woman and she'd always taken Theresa's side, no matter what had happened.

"Yes. I overheard them talking while I was waiting for Ethan in the library and I learned some things, hurtful things."

"Like?"

"First of all, Whitney is not my friend at all. She's never been either. She stabbed me in the back Fox! She helped Gwen convince Ethan to sue me for my daughter's full custody!"

"What?"

"You've heard very well! Ever since we learned Jane was mine and not Gwen's, she's been lying to me and plotting my downfall with the bitch. Whitney knew about Gwen's plans to kidnap my daughter and she let her do it! She knew where Jane and Gwen were all along and she kept quiet." Fox took a few steps back, ending up sitting on his bed as the information sank in. Whitney had been plotting and scheming against Theresa for the past year if not before.

"You're one hundred percent sure about this? It's not the Whitney we know." A minimal part of him still hoped that she'd heard wrong.

"Have I ever lied to you?" She kneeled down in front of him and touched his cheeks softly. "There's more for you to know and I need to make sure you're ready to hear it." He locked his gaze with hers, seeking the strength and comfort he desperately needed.

"Go ahead." Theresa sighed and put her forehead against his.

"Whitney lied to you about Miles. She drugged you to pass him off as your own. He's really Chad's son." A look of mild shock befell his features instantly.

"What?"

"She's using you to get the Crane money." She knew the words would tear him to his very soul but unlike she thought, Fox just shook his head, made his way to the window and stared down at the gardener working outside.

"I... It's weird to say but I somehow knew it." This time, it was Theresa's turn to be shocked.

"Come again?"

"I didn't feel any kind of special connection I've heard people say a father and a child usually share." Theresa approached him and encircled his waist with her arms.

"I'm so sorry Fox. I wish I could do something for you."

"Actually, there is." Without letting her the time to realize what was happening, he turned around and captured her lips with his. The kiss was intense, passionate and simply natural. It was almost as if they hadn't split up at all and they'd been together forever. _It feels so right, so good._ "Fox... I don't think..." she managed to mumble but he cut her off.

"We'll talk later, just enjoy the moment." Taking her mouth back again, he inspected every inch of it and a weird sensation washed over him. _My God! I still love her. That's the reason why I feel so good with her, why I keep on thinking about when I was with her._ Taking her face gently in his palms, he lifted it until their eyes made contact. "I have something to confess. Something important. I love you Theresa. I never stopped."

"Fox, I..."

"Shhhh…Don't say a thing. I just wanted you to know. I'll leave you some time to reflect on that but right now, I have to do some cleaning in the mansion. Care to join me?"

"Sure. But, I'll drop by Chad's study first to tell him the news myself. He surely won't allow Whitney to leave with Miles."

* * *

Chad was filling a report for Crane Industries when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" The door opened and Theresa appeared.

"Hey Chad!"

"T! What a good surprise! It's been so long. I'm sorry; I was busy with work and Whitney giving birth to my godson."

"No need to apologize. I understand. Look, I won't beat around the bush. I'm here for a specific reason and it's to tell you the truth. The whole truth and nothing but." Surprised by the serious tone of his friend, he closed his file and motioned for her to sit.

"What's going on?"

"Chad, Miles, the baby you think of as your godson…well, he's more than that. He's your own flesh and blood."

"Of course he's my own flesh and blood! We're family."

"No, you don't understand. Miles is much more than your godson and half-nephew. He's _your_ little boy." Chad's mouth dropped.

"What?" He nervously passed a hand through his hair. "You've got to be kidding me Theresa. It's impossible."

"It is. I couldn't be more serious. Whitney drugged Fox so she could pass off your baby as his. She lied to you, hell, to everyone!" Unable to come to term with the fact that the woman he used to love had taken him for a fool, he fell back in his chair. "I'm so sorry Chad. I wish I could have done something earlier but I learned all about that just half-an-hour ago." _Poor Chad. Whitney, you're such a bitch!_

"Does Fox know about this?" was all Chad managed to blurt out.

"Yes bro, I know. Theresa told me right before coming here."

"I'm going to strangle her! How dare she keep my son from me?"

"Chad, there's no time to lose asking questions that will remain answerless if we don't confront Whit. Come on. Tag with me and Theresa. I'm going to give her a lesson she won't forget for the rest of her life." Leaving the study, all three made their way to the living room. As soon as Gwen caught sight of Theresa, she tensed up.

"Theresa! You know you're not welcomed here! Get out of my house!" she screamed. Chad looked at her, doing his best not to crack up laughing.

"Look Gwen, as far as I know, this isn't YOUR house, it's Alistair's so unless he tells me directly that he wants me to leave, I will stay right where I am."

"That isn't going to happen, my dear." Alistair's voice said from behind them. "You're welcomed here anytime." Furious, Gwen sat back down and crossed her arms.

"Why are you here?" she asked, point blank. "Still trying to steal my husband from me? Didn't you hear a couple of months ago? Ethan loves ME and only _me_."

"Actually Gwen, I invited her." said Chad, coming to Theresa's rescue. "I needed to have her opinion on a future project at Crane Industries."

"Chad, don't waste your time and saliva for nothing. Theresa's presence here isn't of Mrs. Winthrop's business. Now, why don't we take care of the matter at hands? Fox, I believe you have something to say to your _fiancée_." Whitney got up and walked to him. As she tried to kiss him, he grabbed her wrist and pushed her away, getting her engagement ring off of her finger at the same time.

"Baby, what's going on?" she asked, surprised that he'd actually rebuffed her. That's when she realized she wasn't wearing the 14-carats diamond ring Fox had given her for their engagement. "Why did you get my ring off?" Trying to control the anger rising inside him every second, he locked his gaze with hers.

"Pack up your things, leave the mansion and never come back." Hearing the cold tone of her boyfriend, Whitney jumped. She could read the anger in his ice-cold stare.

"Baby, what's happening? Why do you want me to leave?"

"Don't baby me." he said through clenched teeth. "Just get the hell out of here you lying, deceitful whore."

"Woah Fox! Would you care to explain what is going on right now? Why are you so cruel towards Whit?" asked Gwen, coming near her friend.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business Gwen?" shot back Theresa, annoyed by the blonde.

"I haven't talked to you bitch!"

"Maybe not but she has." replied Fox with venom.

"Why don't you mind your own business too huh? Or do you love messing with other people's lives so much, you have to get your nose into everything?"

"Actually, I am concerned in this as I was betrayed by what I thought was my best friend." Theresa looked at Whitney with disgust. _You should bow down your head in shame for everything you've done. Your late father must surely want to die again in his grave._

"What are you talking about Theresa? I am your best friend..."

"Correction, you WERE. Now is different. After fooling and lying to so many people, you should want the earth to swallow you on the spot. What kind of monster are you to pass off your baby as Fox's when Chad is the father?" Upon hearing those words, Whitney paled drastically.

"How the hell do you know?"

"I've heard you and Gwen talking about it earlier. I was coming by to give Ethan the custody papers and tell him I would never sign them when Vera told me he wasn't home yet. So I decided to wait for him in the library and I just happened to hear you two chatting through the connecting door."

"You were spying on us? F*ck! How low can you sink to try to destroy people lives?" exclaimed Gwen, walking to Whitney's side once again.

"Not as low as you went when you stole my son from me! But that's beside the point now. They know Whitney. Both Chad and Fox know the truth."

"All thanks to you! You just love ruining my life do you? Every single chance I had to be happy, you always got in my way. It seems you succeeded yet again! But hear me well! It's the last time you will ever ruin a chance at happiness for me. I hope you lose everything and pay for what you've done to Gwen and Ethan!"

"I don't believe she will, Dear. Theresa is strong, something you aren't. She's going to fight to death for the most precious things to her. Now, I leave you half-an-hour to pack your things and get out of here. Once that time is expired, security will have you removed should you still be here." Alistair took a few steps towards the kitchen before stopping and turning to Chad. "Oh, I forgot Chad. Your son's things have been moved to your bedroom and I'm sure he's impatiently waiting for his daddy to take care of him. Why don't you go now? I also believe Valerie is waiting for you too." Throwing Whitney one last look, he grinned. "Miss Russell, tick tack, tick tack, time is going on fast you know. You've already lost 3 minutes. Hurry up, will you. We need to decontaminate the mansion."

"I'm not leaving without my son!"

"I don't think I need to tell you Miles is staying here with his father, right where he belongs. He's a Crane and I won't let a slut like you raise him."

"Alistair for God Sake! What are you doing?" exclaimed his wife, Katherine, from the kitchen's door.

"Katherine, good timing to join us. We're actually waiting for Miss Russell to leave the grounds and rejoicing over it. I believe you heard everything from where you were just now, right?"

"Of course." Giving the young black woman a look of disdain, she smiled coldly. "What are you waiting for young woman? For a rainbow to magically appear out of nowhere and take you? Hey, come back on Earth and get your dirty, sluttish self out of here!"

"Again, I'm not leaving without Miles."

"Oh, I believe you will. Security! May you remove that... trash for a lack of better word... out of the Crane grounds. Also, pack up her things and send them straight to her former house." As guards were dragging a pleading, begging and crying Whitney out, Fox spat at her feet.

"That's all you deserve, you back-stabbing whore." Turning around, he put his hand on Theresa's left arm. "Now that it's dealt with, why don't we enjoy a nice swim huh? I'll go get Little Ethan; you go get changed and we'll meet at the..."

"There's no way I'll allow my son to swim with that bitch!" interrupted Gwen, walking to the two of them.

"First of all Gwen, Ethan Martin is not your son, he's Theresa's. Second, I will bring him down for a swim anytime I see fit seeing as he's my half-brother. Third, you should take care of that big, disgusting wrinkle you have on your face. Oops! I forgot. It can't be hidden since all your face is a wrinkle." With that, he pushed Theresa forward and the both of them left a boiling Gwen behind with completely cracked up Alistair, Katherine and Chad.

* * *

_Next on Time to move on_:

Ethan makes a promise to Gwen.

Chad confides in Theresa.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	4. Don't be afraid

_**Don't be afraid**_

_Note: WARNING! There may be mild language here!_

"That was soooooooo not nice of you Fox." Still laughing from the recent events, Theresa was lying next to the pool, tanning, while Fox and Ethan Martin were playing with a beach ball.

"Personally, I don't really care Resa. I'm just tired of seeing her horsy face get everything she wants. She thinks of herself as the mighty Queen Gwen and it's really pissing me off."

"Why did you leave mommy Fox?" Little Ethan blurted out suddenly. Turning to the little boy, the taller man stood there speechless for a couple of seconds. With an amused smile on her face, Theresa simply closed her eyes.

"I think it was because I thought I was in love with someone else but now I know I was wrong. Your mommy is the only one I love and I'm ready to wait for her a thousand years if needed. You know, I actually have a lot of things planned for her and I."

"Is getting me back a part of your plans?" Bursting in laughter, Fox messed with the little boy's hair.

"Of course! I hope you didn't really think we'd leave you with such monsters as Ethan and Gwen!"

"Ok, come on guys! Don't you think we should get ready for Mama's dinner tonight?"

"Would be a good idea, Resa. Hop boy! We're going to find you nice clothes to impress your abuela."

"Cool!" exclaimed EM. He got up fast and ran inside. "Last one in my room is a chicken!"

"Hey! That's not fair! You left before we could know it!" whined Fox jokingly.

"Oh come on Foxy! Stop playing stupid and help me get my son's things inside." Grabbing the little boy's things, they went up to his room and found Ethan sitting on the bed, waiting for them. _Oh great! What now?_ Fox slipped his hand in Theresa's and waited for a speech to come out.

"I heard you two talking about taking Ethan Martin to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's dinner. I'd love for you to warn me when such events happen so I could at least warn my wife. You know how much Gwen loves the little guy and if something was to happen to him, I wonder if she would not be as panicked as you Theresa." _Yeah right!_

"Is that supposed to slow down my hatred for her? Because, if it is, it's not working at all. If not, I am more angry at her than I was a second ago."

"Ok, look. Can I, at least, have your word that you're going to warn me next time something like this happens? Gwen and I had planned a nice boat ride for him tonight."

"Well too bad _half-bro_, he won't be going with you. It's been such a long time since he's seen his maternal grandparents. Give him a chance and..." began Fox only to be cut off by Theresa.

"Neither Fox nor I will give you our word that we'll warn you. We're not prisoners under your 24 hours, 7 days a week guard. He's going to take Little Ethan out anytime he wants and if I'm with them, then you're going to have to live with it, understand? I'm no longer a puppet you can manipulate at your will, Ethan. The spell you'd cast on me has vanished and I'm aware of all the beautiful things in the world I was missing when you were the center of it. The time of me giving my life for you is over. It's the past. Now, I'm going to concentrate on my children and I can swear to you, Winthrop, I will have my son back with me by the end of the year!" Taking her son's hand, she quickly exited the bedroom and was soon followed by Fox who stopped and turned around, unable to repress taking a jab.

"The reign of Ethan 'Golden Boy' Winthrop over Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald's life is officially over. My heart goes out to you, dear fallen king. May you suffer in the new life you've chosen." Those words hurt Ethan to his very soul. _Damn you Fox! Why does it hurt so much? I love Gwen, not Theresa. I've chosen to stay with my wife but why do I feel like I did the biggest mistake of my life? No! Get a hold of yourself! You love Theresa... no GWEN and once Jane is with you, you'll be happy with your new family._

"Darling, is our sweetheart ready for his surprise?" lightly sang Gwen, dancing in.

"No, actually, there's been a change of plan. Fox and Theresa decided to take him to the Lopez-Fitzgerald's dinner."

"What? But, why the hell did you let them do that? You knew we had this big surprise planned tonight for him!" If there was a thing Ethan could not stand about his wife, it's when she was whining.

"Look Gwen, the poor boy hasn't seen Pilar or Martin in a long time. I thought it would be great for him and give us the opportunity to have a quiet evening at home... just the two of us..." _If only I could be somewhere else at this very moment! Like with Theresa. Ethan, what the hell are you saying? You LOVE your wife!_

"Awwww! I love you so much! I find myself lucky to still have you in my life Ethan. I don't know where I'll be without you." Hugging her husband, she didn't notice the far away look on his face. _You'd be getting a new life and I'd be with Theresa... Ok, Ethan, that's enough! You chose Gwen, live with it!_

"So, are we still going for that boat ride or not?"

"Only if you promise me something." Looking right into Ethan's eyes, Gwen put emphasis on her words. "Promise me that you are going to fight against Theresa with all your might to take Jane away from her. I need that little girl, Darling. I really do need her." Gulping hard, almost as if he knew it was something he shouldn't do, he caressed her face.

"I promise I'll do everything to take my daughter away from her mother and then we'll raise her along with her brother and be one happy family." Slowly, he kissed and hugged her tenderly. _Oh my God! What have I done? I just vowed to break the woman I love. ETHAN! Gwen is the woman you love. Always remember that!_

* * *

The dinner was splendid and the Lopez-Fitzgerald family was happy to be reunited. At some point during the evening, Theresa had gone away to the living room so she could breastfeed Jane. She loved the feeling of closeness it gave her with her child while she fed and always cherished those moments. Feeling the little hand against her breast made her feel special. A little human being needed her, needed her protection and she would move sky and earth to ensure her baby would stay with her. No matter what she'd have to do, she'd sacrifice anything for her children. She'd even give her life, a life she would have been willing to give for one man not that long ago. A man who'd betrayed her, played with her heart and stomped on it without any remorse. _Too bad for you Ethan. You don't know what you'll miss. It's your loss. I just realized I would have been only the shadow of myself with you._

Sensing a presence behind her, she risked a look. Fox stood near the bay window and was looking at her.

"Do you know you look awfully beautiful and serene like this? I even find that sexy." Feeling herself blush, she looked down at her daughter who was now sound asleep. "Hey! Don't hide your pretty face." Fox added, walking to her and lifting her chin up. "Such a beauty should never be hidden."

"You're making me uncomfortable. No one ever said that to me before."

"Well, either they were fools or simply blind. Anyway, that's not important. You are a gorgeous woman Theresa and I'm happy to have the exclusivity of telling you." Smiling, he caressed her hair, locking his eyes with hers. She'd pulled it into a bun with some strands loose around her face. Both were so lost into each other, they didn't even notice Ethan Martin watching them from afar with Chad.

"Do you think Fox would take good care of mommy?" Surprised by that question, Chad stayed silent for a few minutes. _Theresa's son might still be young but God, he's mature._

"I think he would, Little Ethan. To my eyes, it seems he loves her a lot and I have an impression it's not a love like we see everyday. There is something special about the way your mommy and Fox feel about each other. It's almost like if they were a match made in heaven."

"That's what I thought." Sighing, he walked back to the kitchen while Chad stayed there, lost in his thoughts. _I wonder if things would have been different should Whitney had told me the truth from the start. Anyway, there's no going back. She's dead to me and Valerie is going to be such a wonderful mother to Miles as well as a good wife for me._ He was thinking so deeply, he didn't even see Fox leave the living room with baby Jane in his arms. It was Theresa's voice that brought him back to reality.

"Chad?" Shaking his head, he looked at his friend and smiled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I came here to ponder on some future choices I might have to make. With the kitchen quite full as well as the terrace outside, I thought it'd be the best place."

"No need to be sorry. I was feeding Jane and Fox came in, kind of surprising me. But it's not important. How are you holding on with Miles?"

"Everything went fine this afternoon. Valerie gave him his bottles. She's quite gifted, actually, and my son just loves her. It's weird because I would almost think he prefers her to Whitney."

"It's quite possible. I know Fox told me she wasn't really taking care of your child. He was with Miles half the time." She smiled lightly. "I don't really know Valerie that well but she seems very nice. I hope you're going to be happy with her at least. After everything you've been through with discovering you were Julian Crane's firstborn, Whitney leaving you for Fox, her pregnancy and the events with Jane and Gwen, I do believe you deserve some good times."

"Thank you Theresa. To be honest with you, I'm questioning myself on popping her the question or not in the next few days. I know we haven't been together for a long time but I feel like she's the one. I don't want to scare her either."

"You want to have my point of view?" she asked, still smiling.

"Yes, if it's not too much to ask." Sitting at her side, he surprised himself at admiring her Latin beauty. _Ethan, you don't know what you're missing. How could you possibly prefer Gwen's cold stone figure and temper to Theresa's amazing personality along with her contagious zest of life? Either you are really dumb or you've blown a fuse._

"Well, you should go smoothly and take your time. Talk to her about how you feel and tenderly slip the ring on her finger. Then, explain that you want to take things slowly but that you want her to wear the ring for it will have a special meaning to your eyes." _That's how I always imagine my wedding proposal._ "This shouldn't scare her too much and make her understand she means a lot to you."

"It's a good idea Theresa. Thank you." Silent fell on the both of them as they thoughts about the ones they respectively loved. _Oh dear! I love Fox. I still love him! I'll have to tell him._ "So, how is it going on with Fox?" Brought out of her reverie, Theresa was completely lost.

"Huh?" Chad laughed.

"Earth to the biggest dreamer I know! I was asking you how things were going on between you and Fox."

"Oh, well... He confessed he still loved me. In fact, I think he never stopped."

"What about you? What are you feeling towards him?" Taking a few seconds to reflect, Theresa slowly turned to her friend.

"I think I still love him as well, Chad. No…scratch that! I know I do."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll tell him tonight." Chad smiled. That's the answer he wanted to hear. After being mistreated by Ethan for so long, Theresa would finally be happy. He knew Fox would take real good care of her. And moreover, he would help her get revenge on Gwen, Rebecca and Ethan. By the end of the year, Ethan Martin would be back into his mother's arms and everything would finally be perfect for her.

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Theresa pours her heart to Fox.

A couple share a moment of complete unity by allowing their passion to take over.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	5. It's not too late

_**It's not too late**_

_Note: WARNING! __This chapter contains sexuel content. __Read to your own risks. WARNING!_

Later that night, Fox brought Theresa back to the mansion and they opted to watch a movie before going to bed. Julian, Rebecca, Chad, Valerie, Gwen and Ethan tagged along, all unwilling to miss an opportunity to see Alien VS Predator. Upon the end, Theresa threw a look at the man she still loved and smiled.

"Foxy, why don't we retire for the night? I'm quite tired, you know." Ethan's heart immediately jumped in his chest. He couldn't believe what she'd just said. _Please Theresa, don't do this! Don't get with Fox again! It hurt so much the first time, I don't want to go through the heartache again._

Surprised by her sudden question, Fox didn't even answer. He got up, took her in his arms and didn't stop walking until they were in his bedroom, ignoring all the stares from the others along the way.

A smile crept on Chad's mouth.

"I guess it won't be long before we have a new member in the family." Watching Ethan from the corner of his eyes, he saw the anger threatening to erupt. Julian nodded approvingly.

"Indeed son. I think Theresa would make the perfect wife for Fox. She has the proper temper to tame him and be a wonderful Crane woman." Unable to hear more, Ethan quickly got up and walked to the bar in order to pour himself a glass of whiskey. The mere thought of Fox touching Theresa, hell, her being with him was enough to make him sick to his stomach. _She loves me! She couldn't have forgotten about me this soon! God, I'm trying to do what's best for everyone. I need my wife to heal but I can't bare hurting Theresa too!_

"Darling? What is going on?" _Don't tell me you still love her!_

"Nothing, Gwen. I just need to calm down the headache I have. I think I'll go to bed." _And be free of your invading presence._

"I'm sure your wife knows a way or two to make your headache disappear Ethan. Why don't you join your man, sweetheart?" Rebecca said, trying to help her daughter. She'd sense her son-in-law wanted to shut her out and she wasn't about to let him do that.

"Ew! Rebecca, we didn't need to hear that!" Chad's remark made his father laugh.

"Indeed. Ethan, go to bed. Gwen can spend some time with her mother. I need to get back to one of my files myself actually. Chad, Valerie, good night."

* * *

Fox closed the bedroom door once he and Theresa were inside. She turned around to face him and the realization of what they'd just done hit her. She burst into fits of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Fox questioned, still not understanding.

"I can only imagine what everyone must be thinking right now. I mean, I just asked you if we were going to bed and here we are." she tried to explain while waving her hands around towards the bed. A smile appeared on Fox's face when her explanation began to sink in.

"I guess tomorrow, Ethan will be cross-examining you for details."

"I'm surprised he allowed us to get behind closed door tonight without details." With that, the both of them began to laugh. The laughter didn't last long when Theresa took hold of Fox's hand and pulled him to the bed they would be sharing for the night and probably many more to come. Her expression turned serious and full of concern. "Look, there is something I need to tell you. Something Chad made me realize tonight when we talked in the living room at my parents'."

"Go ahead."

"I am still in love with you. In a way, I never stopped. It's just that I thought I still had a chance with Ethan since I was pregnant with his child. But, I was so wrong. I kept my feelings locked up in a secret part of my heart and now that Chad talked to me, it just poured out." Taking his face in her hands, she stared in his soulful brown eyes. "I really love you deeply Fox. I hope it's not too late..."

"No, it's not too late. I love you too, Resa. But I just need to make sure you're ready to get intimate with me again. I so need you but I don't want it to be one-sided." he pleaded. He just couldn't get the thought out of his mind that he could somehow cause the woman he loved harm. Theresa nodded her understanding of Fox's feelings. He slowly brought one hand up to her face and started to place the other hand upon her stomach. "You know, I'd love for you to have my children."

"I know and that's what I want to happen someday. Please, make our special connection." Fox knew exactly what Theresa was trying to say and he didn't need a second invitation to do what his body was so desperate for. Gently, he caressed her face with his right hand. With the other, he slowly pushed her back on the bed until she was lying in front of him. This time, there was no reason to rush. He knew they were safe for the night from everyone's actions and he intended to make love to Theresa the way she deserved to be made love to.

As he looked into her eyes, she could see the desire of his need. She could feel the earning growing with such intensity in him as if she was the one feeling it as well. The connection was formed between them almost instantaneously. As much as they both felt the urgency to rush, tear each other's clothes off and make mad passionate love, both wanted to savor this moment in time, making it stop as if they were the only two people here on Earth. Fox leaned over her slowly, keeping his gaze locked on her eyes until his forehead touched hers. His eyes closed as he breathed in deeply, taken in the scent of Theresa that was just hers, making his insides stir with even more desire, lust and most of all, love. He inched his lips closer and closer until they hovered just over the tips of hers. "I love you Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald." He declared, his voice barely a whisper as his lips descended upon hers.

The kiss was gentle, living and full of passion. The pace was set and both knew this night was for them. Fox sucked Theresa's bottom lip into his mouth with such tenderness that it caused a moan of delight to escape her. She brought her hand around behind his head and let her finger play with the nap of his neck, pulling him down even closer to her. Her other arm went around his waist, lifting his shirt to feel his bare back. Fox soon found himself stretched fully on top of her. Their kiss deepened and the drive of each of their desires had taken over their bodies. Both could feel each other's needs and desires. The feelings engulfed them. Each desires for the other were strong enough so they could be able to feel what the other was feeling at the exact same time and it was overwhelming them. Their tongues met in a duel while their bodies moved in a rhythm of earning.

Theresa continued to lift his shirt while her hand caressed his back in an upward motion. He kept one hand on her face, gently holding and caressing at the same time. His other hand roamed down her body, touching every inch of her as it wanted. Finally, Fox's need to touch her flesh grew too intense. He pulled away, breaking their kiss and quickly removing his own shirt. Theresa sat up and started to follow suit when he stopped her.

"Let me." His voice was hoarse and full of passion. He slowly pulled her shirt up, letting his fingers linger across her body, sending Theresa's spirit into the throws of passion unlike anything she knew she was capable of. When her shirt was gone, Fox's hand cupped the sides of her face, pulling her into another deep passionate kiss. His hands slid down her neck to her shoulders. As they continued their journey downward, his thumbs hooked onto the straps of her bra, pulling them down. He quickly waved one finger behind her, releasing the hooks that held her it in place. She pulled back to allow him an easy removal of the lace undergarment.

"God Resa, you are so beautiful." he moaned out as he tilted his head down to capture one of her honey tanned breast with his mouth. One hand wrapped around her waist to give her support as the other took a hold of her other breast. He licked, sucked, kneaded, pulled, rubbed and squeezed, dividing his mouth and hand between the two mounds of flesh. Theresa arched her back as the sensations of Fox's touch drove her body into an ecstasy of pure joy.

"Oh... Fox... yes!" she moaned deeply. Her need to touch him came in waves as he continued his assault on her upper body. She reached for his chest and allowed her hand to slowly explore over his chest muscles then downward to his tight stomach abs and even more downward until she came in contact with his pants. She continued past the button until she found the hard bulge that was trapped behind. When she began her assault on his manhood from the outside of his pants, Fox couldn't keep the growl of desire that escaped his lips onto the breast it was devouring at the time. He kissed his way back up her chest to her neck and then once again, captured her lips, gently pushing her back down on the bed. His hands wandered past her breasts, downward past her stomach and slipped inside her skirt without bothering to take the time to unbutton it. When his fingers found the treasure they were seeking, both of them let out moans of delight into each other's mouths. Theresa knew her body was screaming for Fox. She needed every inch of him to satisfy the hunger of passion and desire that was coursing through her veins. She brought her hands up to undo the button of his pants. When she reached for his zipper, he pulled back once again.

"I better take it from here." He was too filled with desire for her from both her assaults and knew care had to be taken in the removal of his pants. He stood up and started to unzip when she stopped him.

"Do you trust me?" she asked with seduction in her voice. Amazed, Fox could only nod, taking her hands and bringing them to his zipper. She sat up and took great care in unzipping and pulling his pants and boxers down over his hips. But once his erection sprang forth, confronting her, she didn't bother pulling them down any further. Her hands immediately went to the aroused muscle that stood before her. They wrapped around it, exploring every inch from the tip to the base. When one hand slipped around his sensitive sacs, Fox's knees began to buckle. Barely remembering how to breathe, he groaned out.

"Resa...I...need...you..._now_!" He once again pushed her back on the bed. This time, the need of her that rushed through his body was beyond any control. He quickly waved his hand over her skirt, removing the button and taking it down. In one swift motion, her skirt and panties were removed from her body. Fox kicked himself out of his pants that had puddle around his ankles quickly. He resumed his position on top of Theresa immediately, bringing their now naked flesh in touch with each other, causing a surge of desire. He reached between her legs, willing her to spread them which she complied easily with his silent request. His fingers explored the hot wet pink flesh of his desire. He rubbed gently around her core then eased one finger inside the warmth of her body. As soon as his finger went inside, Theresa felt the sensation deep inside her soul. The wave of pleasure crashed through her over and over again as he plunged his finger in and out of her. Unable to wait another moment to feel the man she loved inside her, she screamed out.

"Fox...now please...NOW!" He obliged her pleas. He positioned his aroused erection at her opening and ever so slowly, inched his manhood inside of the wetness until he was fully sheaved in her. He stayed still for only a few moments to regain enough control to not lose himself right there and then. He took that moment to stare deeply into the chocolate brown eyes of the woman who'd captured his heart so completely. In those eyes, he saw the unconditional love she had for him and also the need for him to continue. They bodies' needs took over before their minds could catch up. Fox raised and lowered himself in and out of Theresa, pulling out almost all of the way and then plunging back again into the wet heaven of his dreams. She matched his rhythm as their bodies melded into one. The passion that ran thought their bodies was unsurpassed by anything they had ever encountered before. Their rhythms increased as the desire for release increased as well. Neither wanted the moment to end but the need for the release grew and grew as their bodies continued their passage of time. In and out, up and down. Their lovemaking lasted until neither could hold their release any longer. Throughout their lovemaking, Theresa had orgasm after orgasm, causing her whole body to feel like it was floating in the clouds of ecstasy. When the final multiple orgasm hit her, her muscles tightened around Fox's manhood. Her body started to tremble with pleasure and she screamed his name in delight. Fox's own release finally came when he felt her inner muscle tighten around him. He continued to pound into her as he emptied his essence inside her beautiful body.

"Oh God...YES!" he screamed as his fluids continued to flow out of his body and into hers. Theresa's body continued to tremble long after the last climax finally stopped. Upon finishing his own release, he collapsed on top of her. Wrapping his arms around her, he held and comforted her until their bodies finally calmed. "I love you so much. That was truly..." he began, breathing out in a husky voice.

"Amazing." She finished his thought as she not only felt it herself but knew how he was feeling due to their connection. "And I love you Nicholas Foxworth Crane." Theresa's voice was soft, still not yet recovered from their lovemaking. Although they were exhausted from the day's events and the incredible union they'd just experiences, neither was ready to let the other go. Something from deep inside of them wouldn't allow them to separate their bodies from each other, the connection between them still going strong. Suddenly, both felt something happening to her body. He immediately placed his hand on her stomach, near her womb. It was then he felt the beginning of their child being formed. It was a weird feeling but he couldn't be happier. He was worrying for Theresa though. She'd given birth to Jane only ten months ago. He didn't want to think about her reaction. He just hoped everything would be fine. He went back to her side, not knowing how to tell her what he'd just felt.

"Resa..."

"I know Fox, I know. Don't worry. Everything will be alright." As soon as he got the answer he needed, Fox very reluctantly removed himself from inside of her, breaking their remarkable union as one along with their connection. He rolled over and quickly pulled her to his side, unwilling to let her go too far away from him. She looked up into his eyes and a smile lit up her face, reflected on his as the gleam in his eyes spoke of happiness and eternal love. "So, what do you think?"

"I think it's something I could diffidently get used to." she replied. They both hugged each other tightly and found themselves drifting off into the most peaceful sleep either had experienced in their entire lives. Content to know that they would have one long happy life together, Fox smiled before closing his eyes and giving up to his need to sleep. _Tomorrow Theresa... tomorrow I'll ensure that you get the life you've always dreamed of. You'll be able to get revenge and I'll make sure you get what you deserve._

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Fox surprises Theresa!

Gwen seriously gets on Ethan's nerves.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	6. Love and revenge

_**Love and revenge**_

_Note: WARNING! There might be mild language..._

The next morning, Fox and Theresa were both startled awake by a loud crash coming from down the hall. Fox leaped out of bed and ran to the door, forgetting completely about the lack of clothes he had fallen asleep in. He opened the door slightly to peek into the hallway. When he heard the bickering that was coming from Ethan and Gwen's room, he let out a sigh of relief. Shutting the door and locking it, he crawled back in the bed where Theresa waited.

"What was that?"

"Ethan and Gwen are at it again." he replied with a huge grin on his face just imagining what his half-brother and his wife were arguing about this time. He had a feeling it was about Theresa having spent the entire night in his bedroom. "By the way, good morning." he stated as he leaned over to kiss her. After relishing his good morning kiss, he stretched.

"I could get used to that kind of good morning kiss." she remarked while pulling her hair into a ponytail. Seeing her, half-asleep, surrounded by the sun's rays, he found her totally gorgeous. Taking the ring with rose-shaped diamond he'd bought for her a year ago from his night table, he smiled and looked back at her.

"Marry me." he said simply.

"What?" Theresa didn't think she'd heard him correctly. She thought Fox just asked her to marry him after they'd just gotten back together.

"You heard me. I want to be able to wake up with you every morning like this. Marry me." he replied, locking his eyes with hers. She reached up and lightly touched his face.

"Fox, you know I love you. And yes, I do want to marry you..." Fox interrupted her before she had the ability to give him all the reasons he knew they should wait.

"Good. You better get dressed then. We have a wedding to plan."

"But Foxy, we've only been back together for a day! What will our parents say? What will everyone say?" She couldn't believe he actually wanted to marry her. Yes, she knew he loved her and yes, she loved him with all of her heart but it was so fast...too fast. So much had happened in their lives recently. She just wasn't sure if now was the best time to think about getting married.

"Do you love me?" he asked, taking her in his arms.

"You know I do." she replied, taking in his scent.

"What about tomorrow, will you love me tomorrow?" he looked into her eyes to seek the truth he needed to hear.

"I'll love you forever." was the only answer she could give him.

"Then marry me and let me love you for as long as I live. Theresa, I know it's sudden. I know our relationship has been like riding a roller coaster with Whitney and Ethan intruding in but through every curve , I have always loved you. That will never change and now with the baby..." He gently touched her stomach as if to touch the child, their child, inside her womb and let it know he would be there for it always. "I haven't lost my mind. There are a lot of questions out there that neither of us have the answers to yet. Yes, our parents may not understand at first but they will eventually see how strong our love is for one another and they will accept it. So will everyone else. Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, I love you. I have loved you from the first moment my eyes laid on you. Marry me." Tears of happiness formed in her eyes at the confession of love coming from the only man she truly had and would ever love.

"Fox, you don't know how much I want to say yes, throw my arms around your neck and kiss you silly." She then looked back into his eyes and knew he was serious and melted. "Yes!"

"Yes?" he repeated, wanting to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"Yes, Nicholas Foxworth Crane, I will marry you!" she restated then threw her arms around his neck and began placing kisses all over his face. He picked her up from the bed, sliding the diamond ring on her finger and twirled her around the room. Theresa didn't know if she was feeling dizzy from being twirled by Fox or the volume of happiness that was consuming her body at that moment. He finally put her down and his mouth descended upon hers with all the passion and love he felt for her. When they pulled back for oxygen, he caressed her face.

"There's something else I want to tell you. Not only will I marry you for love but I also want you to get everything you deserve. I'll help you get revenge on the ones who have hurt you and get your son back."

"Thank you. As long as the first reason why you'll take me as your wife is love, it's alright by me." He kissed her sweetly.

"Come on, we better get dressed and go downstairs before Gwen and Ethan come to blows over who knows what this morning. Besides, I've worked up quite an appetite. I'm starving!"

"Sure. Mind if I get one of my dresses I've forgotten here when we broke up?"

"Not at all! Suit yourself future Mrs. Crane." Smiling, she got one green spaghetti-strapped dress with cream flowers from the wardrobe and put it on. Seeing her getting dressed up, Fox couldn't help but take her by the waist and kiss her neck.

"If you don't stop right here, we'll never make it to the kitchen." she whispered, trying not to lose her control. His touch was driving her crazy.

"I'm very well aware of that but I can't help it. I kind of have a craving to feel your beautiful body against mine. _Again_." He continued kissing her neck until she turned around and their lips met. _Oh God, she's going to be the death of me!_ Pulling back just in time before she could give in, she smiled.

"I suggest I go freshen up and join you downstairs ok?" Reluctantly letting go of her, he sighed.

"I guess I don't have a choice. Go before I take you back in bed and rip that dress to shreds." With that, she disappeared in the bathroom. _Come on Crane, concentrate on finding a way to tell your parents about that one now._

* * *

Three bedrooms from there, Ethan was sitting in his bed, merely awake and listening to his wife's constant yelling.

"I can't believe she spent the entire night here, in our house! Who is she taking herself for? Mighty Princess Theresa!" Sighing, he looked over at the clock then back at the woman he'd chosen to spend the rest of his life with.

"Gwen, this is not our house. It's the Crane Mansion where we live part because of your mother and part because Theresa was kind enough to make me stay when we all wrongly assumed she was Julian's wife. Besides, Fox and Chad invited her here ok. There's nothing we can do."

"Are you dumb or what? My God, don't you see she is still trying to steal you from me? Her main purpose for being here is to pursue you like she's always done for 6 years now! She won't stop until you go back to her."

"Why does it always come down to that? It's the past, just forget about it! I chose you Gwen, not her. I've made it quite clear."

"It doesn't matter! She'll never accept it Ethan. All her little freak brain can think is that you two belong together because you share a child! She believes it so hard, she's convinced it's reality and she's going to do everything she can to make it happen." Getting up, he angrily pulled the sheets of the bed in their original position.

"Ok, that's enough!"

"Oh no, I'm not finished with this. You're going to listen to me. She went as far as to kill Sarah and Nathan to try to get you back. What tells you she won't try to kill me next huh? With me gone, there's nothing to prevent you two from being together." _Why don't you tell her what you really think of all that? Now would be a good time._

"Now Gwen, you've totally lost your mind! Sarah's death was a horrible accident we could have prevented if you'd stayed in the hospital instead of coming to the apartment complex. But you chose otherwise. As for Nathan, if my mind is right, it was your mother who convinced you to make Theresa have the procedure."

"Why would I have taken any risks of losing both the babies I thought were mine at the time? There was no other choice Ethan. I needed a baby and Theresa ripped that chance from me! She decided to save her daughter instead of our son. Another example of her selfishness and determination to have you back!"

"She didn't know Jane was hers at the time! The DNA tests were done _after_ the procedure. None of us knew that one baby was mine with her and the other was mine with you. Otherwise, I would have done everything to save our little boy!" _It's not exactly the truth though. I would have left it in God's hands like Pilar told us._

"I really doubt that! As much as I'd love to believe you, a part of me is still wonders if you'd proposed to that whore instead of me hadn't I been pregnant with Sarah in the first place." Unable to contain the rage he'd bottled up inside of him for a few days now, Ethan grabbed a mirror and sent it crashing on the floor, contentment washing over him as hundred of shards flew in every direction.

"Theresa is NOT a whore!" His cold tone surprised Gwen and he was at her side, shaking her before she knew it. "Never say that again, do you hear me? She's not sleeping with everybody like your mother does!" Taking a calming breath, he let go of his wife and turned around. "She's a kind and sweet person. She has maybe decided to fight me for Jane but it's not because she doesn't want you to heal properly. She just doesn't want to have everything taken from her." As Gwen was about to add something, he cut her off. "Now, I want to get dressed and have a nice breakfast. Prepare yourself while I wake up Little Ethan. We're going to the restaurant in half-an-hour and we'll spend the day at the beach after that. This conversation is over." As he was about to exit the bedroom, he heard her reply.

"It's far from over Ethan. I will not accept her around and ..."

"Forget it. I'm not having another argument about her with you. I want you to be ready when I come back." With that, he promptly left. Gwen stood still in the middle of the room, shaken by her husband's reaction. _Don't you date think I'll let that go as if it was nothing. I'll do everything to make sure Jane is taken from that bitch and you will help me whether you want it or not._

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Theresa shocks Julian and Alistair.

Fox surprises Sheridan.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	7. No angel

_**No angel**_

_Note: WARNING! There might be mild language..._

Instead of going downstairs like Theresa had hinted she wanted him to do, Fox waited for her and they both walked into the kitchen just in time to witness Luis throwing an egg at Sheridan, hitting her squarely in the back of her head. They'd just gotten back from their honeymoon in Paris.

"Luis!" Theresa yelled, not knowing what was going on.

"Well, she deserved it." Theresa's brother replied with a smirk. Fox went over to stand by his aunt who still had her back turned on her husband. He thought for sure the two of them would be soon saying or doing something they would regret and wanted to stop his aunt from retaliating. He knew she and Theresa's brother liked to argue about little things. It put some spice in their relationship as he loved to say. But when he saw Sheridan's face, he couldn't help but laugh. His aunt stood there with a smile that made her whole face light up.

"Sher?" Fox was now more confused than ever.

"Isn't it great to have things back to normal for a while?" was her reply. It was at that point he realized everything was fine between his aunt and uncle-in-law. Smiling, he returned over to Theresa and Luis.

"Good morning Luis." he stated, giving the woman he loved a kiss on her forehead.

"Morning Fox. I was going to fix everyone some breakfast but Mrs. 'I'm-better-than-anyone' over there didn't trust my cooking." Fox only nodded, now understanding what was going on. Luis then grabbed Theresa by the hand. "Since you Cranes think you can cook so much better than us Lopez-Fitzgeralds, I'm going to steal my baby sister for some very serious and much needed talk." Knowing this moment was coming since she'd seen Fox crossing Luis and Sheridan while he carried her to his bedroom last night, Theresa didn't argue and let herself be dragged out of the kitchen by her brother. As soon as they disappeared, Sheridan swept her hand over her head and down her back, cleaning the egg remains off her. Taking notice of Chad in the doorway leading to the terrace, she smiled.

"Was a good show, wasn't it?"

"Yup. A pretty funny one. All I have to say about that, besides the fact that you'll have to wash your hair, is he better get used to the idea that you're a much better cook then he is." Laughing at his half-brother's statement, Fox slapped him gently on the back. Then, the curiosity overtook.

"So, how did everyone react when I took Theresa to bed last night?"

"Chad came up to your rescue pretty well Fox. He told your father he thought there would be a new member in the family soon." Valerie said, coming up from behind her boyfriend. "Ethan shut Gwen out and went to bed. He surely was angry; I could read it on his face. Julian went away to work on some files. Chad and I left to take a walk on the wharf and as for Rebecca and Gwen, they were left alone."

"Oh."

"Valerie and I have to go. I promised her we'd go to Castleton to see her family today. Have a good day!" Quickly dragging his girlfriend along, Chad headed out.

"They talked about Gwen's marriage a bit." Sheridan continued "Luis and I weren't interested so we left and that's when we saw you carrying Theresa up to your room."

"Was he angry?" Fox asked, hoping to receive a negative answer.

"Let me tell you this. I don't see Luis making breakfast anytime soon. Either that or when he finds out about what you did with his baby sister last night, don't be surprised if you have a dozen eggs thrown your way." Sheridan half-joked and then grew serious. "I guess you made love last night, right?"

"Yes, we did."

"So, it means you two are back together?"

"There's a little more to that actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you mind if we wait until everyone has come down for breakfast? Besides, I have something more important to ask my aunt right now."

"What's that? How to make the world's best omelet?" she joked while picking up breakfast where she'd left off.

"Not quite. I was thinking more along the lines of if you would be willing to be Theresa's maid-of-honor?" Fox looked directly at his aunt, awaiting her reaction to the knowledge he'd asked Theresa to marry him. Sheridan knew her nephew was staring at her for her answer. Her first thought was that he's completely gone insane. Then, she had quick flashes of all the things Fox and Theresa had gone through lately.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Both nodded their heads, relief washing over Fox. "So, you two have just gotten back together and getting married. Is there anything you aren't willing to do when it comes to Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald?"

"That will soon be Theresa Crane if you don't mind. For real this time" With that, he grabbed the orange juice along with glasses out and put them on the table just as Julian and Alistair were joining them.

"Good morning everyone. My God, it smells good!" exclaimed Alistair, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"Morning."

"Where are Luis and Theresa?" asked Julian, taking the newspaper from the counter.

"Having a brother-sister chat. They should come back soon."

"Good. Now that we know that, let's eat. Breakfast smells wonderful!"

"Now, why can't my husband be around when things like that are said?" joked Sheridan which made all guys laugh.

* * *

"Ok, I want details and I want them now!" Luis demanded. Theresa knew what details her brother was referring to but she decided to make him suffer for just a little while longer.

"Please, calm down. First, Ethan came at our house to tell me he was going to..." He interrupted her mid-sentence.

"That's not the details I want and you know it. Did you and Fox, you know?"

"Luis!" she exclaimed. She was about to tell her brother that what went on between her and her boyfriend behind closed door was their business but she knew she'd have to tell him about the baby and the fact that Fox had proposed to her, along with her positive answer. "Yes, Fox and I have been together, together." Luis had so many emotions running through his mind at that point, he didn't know which one to show first. Happiness that he had for his sister, knowing all happy Theresa was that her and Fox were back together; fear of the unknown due to their turbulent pasts and all the other emotions in-between the two of them.

"Are you ok?" he asked with concern. Theresa was his only sister and that was the first thing he needed to deal with.

"I'm fine. Newly pregnant but other than that, I'm fine."

"You're WHAT?" Hysteria once again ran through Luis' veins. "Oh my God!" Then, the babbling began. "You have given birth to Jane less than a year ago! Are you sure? Do you think you're ready to have another baby that soon? What are our and Fox's parents going to say? How could you not think of protection?" Phyllis, having heard everything and not surprised the least, joined the two siblings in the middle of Luis' babbling and went over to stand next to Theresa while her brother continued his pacing and ranting. Seeing how he was reacting, Theresa looked to the maid, pleading with her eyes for help with Luis. Phyllis gave her a look of sympathy, knowing that this was coming. Finally, she stepped in front of the now frantic pacing Irish-Mexican man, took a hold if his shoulders with both her hands and stopped him.

"Mr. Lopez-Fitzgerald, you're babbling."

"I've earned the right to babble wouldn't you say? I mean, wouldn't you be babbling if you were in my situation?"

"I love you. You know that, right?" Theresa said the only thing that came to her at that moment. She had to find a way to calm her brother down. Luis stopped his ranting, looked at her in the eyes and once again asked his previous question.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Yes I will. Now, if you don't mind, I'd rather return in the kitchen. I'm so hungry, I could eat a bear. But…you have to promise me you'll keep the pregnancy secret between us. At least, for now." Agreeing, the brother-sister duo returned to the kitchen just as Sheridan was putting down all the food on the table where Fox, Julian and Alistair were now seated at.

"MmmmHmmmm... Does that smell good or what?" she commented when she saw her husband. Then, she noticed the look in his face and knew now was not the time for jokes. She'd seen that look before when he was angry at Beth for aborting but now, it was directed at her nephew. _Poor Fox!_ Luis walked right up to his sister's fiancé before Theresa could stop him.

"I don't know if I should punch you right now or hug you. Considering you are supposed to be a responsible man, you aren't too bright with your control." Turning back to his sister, he gave her a wink. Theresa wanted to warn her boyfriend that Luis was just going to give him a hard time but in the end, a small part of her was enjoying watching her brother make Fox squirm. Turning back to his nephew-in-law, Luis continued his assault. "Ok, yes, Theresa loves you and yes, she would do anything for you but really Fox. I thought you of all guys would be the last one I know who would only be thinking with his lower anatomy."

"Luis..." Fox tried to get into words but Theresa's brother wasn't quite done with him yet. Sheridan had to cover her face to prevent the laugh that was slowly building to spill out. She knew what the wrath of her husband was like and once he got on a roll, there was no stopping him. Julian and Alistair were just watching, their mouths hanging open, not knowing what to expect.

"You know, there is this invention out there, it's called a condom."

"LUIS!" Theresa had to come to Fox's defense at this point seeing as he was blushing from the top of his ears down to his toes. "For God's sake, Fox didn't seduce me, I seduced him!" At that last statement, all eyes went to her. "What? Does everyone think I'm always going to be the one giving in and not taking charge?" Luis immediately started laughing and refocused his gaze on his nephew-in-law.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, causing Fox's already blushing cheeks to a deeper shade of red. Then, he wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Just so you know..."

"Yeah, I know. If I hurt her again, I'll have to deal with you. Sheridan informed me of that one. I'll tell you the same thing I assured her. I'll die before that happens." Theresa could only smile at the two of them and then went over to stand by Fox. Luis let go of his sister's boyfriend and was immediately pulled into her soon-to-be-husband's arms. "Now, let's just get the record straight about who seduced who first." he joked with her and placed a sweet loving kiss upon her mouth before she had the opportunity to argue. They all sat around the table, enjoying their wonderfully cooked breakfast by chef Sheridan. Even Luis made the comment on how good the food tasted. Once everyone had finished and Sheridan had left with her husband, Fox took a big breath. "Father, Grandfather, Theresa and I have an announcement to make."

"Go ahead son." said Julian from behind the newspaper he was reading.

"Julian, I believe this is serious. Would you put that piece of paper away?" asked Alistair, his hands crossed on the table as he waited for his grandson to speak. Once his father was one hundred percent listening to him, Fox took Theresa's hand.

"After yesterday's happenings with Whitney, I realized something. I am ready to settle down and I know who the lucky woman is. She never betrayed me. I can trust her with my life."

"So who will get to be the next Mrs. Crane?" Julian exchanged a look with his father. They already knew the answer but they both wanted Fox to say it.

"Theresa. She's the one I proposed to and she accepted already. None of you will make me change my mind and will stop this wedding from happening. I will not let you and..."

"We won't stop you Fox. We want it to happen maybe as much as you do. You have our blessing." Surprised beyond belief, Theresa stared at the Crane patriarch and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Not knowing what to say and having a surge of happiness overwhelming her, she got up and hugged both Alistair and Julian.

"Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"I'd love to put a condition though." added Alistair. "You must have your first heir within the two next years. I believe it's a good period of time I'm giving you." Already knowing she was going to be a mother, Theresa smiled.

"Yes and condition accepted." she replied. "However, I also have a condition to put. I know you must be pretty tired of having Rebecca, Gwen and Ethan around."

"Indeed, we are dear. What do you have in mind?" _Something tells me Theresa isn't an angel at all like she seems to be._

"I'd love to make them pay for everything they have done to me and get back what they stole. Once I'll be a Crane, you have to accept helping me bring them all down."

"Even Ethan?" asked Fox, hopeful that Theresa wouldn't be gentle with him this time around. She turned to face him and locked her eyes with his.

"Ethan is going to get what's coming to him! He won't know what's going to hit him until it's too late." Walking to the counter, she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "So, is my proposition a good one?"

"We will take that in consideration, Dear. Now, I believe we have a wedding to plan for this afternoon. Come on, Julian. Let's get the preparations done." simply replied Alistair, grabbing his son's arms and dragging him away.

"I guess, it's welcome to the family Theresa. I love you." stated Fox, taking his girlfriend by the waist.

"I love you too honey." Their mouths met and soon they were kissing passionately.

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Gwen gives Ethan a piece of her mind!

The Cranes and the Lopez-Fitzgerald rejoice over a happy event.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	8. The field of flowers

_**The field of flowers**_

_Note: Just enjoy the reading! Oh and I don't think I've mentioned earlier that there is no Paloma in this story._

Pilar stood near the heart-shaped window of the Crane Cottage, looking at her only daughter. Theresa had somehow changed overnight, she knew it. She wasn't the same sweet and caring little girl she'd raised.

"Are you sure about this Mija? It isn't another one of your scheme to get Ethan back, is it?" Turning around to face her mother, Theresa sighed again.

"How many times will I have to tell you Mama? No, I don't want Ethan back. He can stay with Gwen or cheat on her with every woman he wants for all I care. He hurt me for the last time when he gave me those custody papers. I love Fox, I always have and I always will."

"I know that. It's just that it's so sudden! I mean, he threw Whitney out only yesterday and I don't want you to go into this head on only to be stuck afterwards."

"I will not be stuck. I really want to be his wife as Fox wants to be my husband. We're going to have a baby!"

"How can you be sure you're pregnant Mija? You only slept with Fox last night!" asked Martin, coming from behind her.

"I just know it. I felt is through the connection my fiancé and I had after our lovemaking. Trust me; we'll have another grandchild for you to spoil in nine months." Theresa simply replied, a smile on her lips. Her hand found the way to her flat stomach. She already couldn't wait to give Fox his first child.

"Haven't you thought that he might be marrying you only because of the baby?" suddenly asked Miguel, quite worried. He still couldn't believe his sister would marry a Crane, again! Furiously turning to face him, Theresa let a growl of anger escape her lips.

"Fox ISN'T Ethan, Miguel! He LOVES me, on the contrary of Mr. No-balls Winthrop. He wouldn't have proposed to me if it was only for our child. He has plenty of money to provide child support but no, he proposed! If it isn't enough proof of his love for you, then you can leave. I don't want anyone against our wedding to be present. Clear?"

"Crystal." Miguel replied, feeling bad about his doubts. Seeing Theresa so angry remembered him of the tornado she'd been during their childhood when she would give him or his friends a piece of her mind. He frankly preferred to be on her good side. Moving towards Kay, who held Maria in her arms, he kissed his sister on the cheek. "Good luck Theresa. You really deserve to be happy and if marrying Fox will then I'm behind you all the way."

"Thank you." Luis walked in as she kissed him back.

"Is everyone ready?"

"More than ever Mijo." replied Martin, taking a hold of his daughter's hand. "Even if it hurts a little to lose my only daughter."

"Oh Papa!" exclaimed Theresa, hugging him tight. "You won't lose me. Look at this the other way, you're gaining another son." Smiling because he knew she was right, he kissed her forehead and motioned for everyone to leave. Once Pilar, Luis, Miguel, Maria and Kay were gone, he turned to his little girl.

"We go whenever you want to."

"Let's go now. I'm completely ready to become Mrs. Theresa Crane." Taking her father by his left arm, they walked to a field of flowers situated far behind the mansion. A little white outdoor chapel had been built there by Alistair's grandmother, Rosemary Abbott-Crane. She'd married her husband, Frederick, there and she'd wished for once of her descendant to do the same. Her wish would be fulfilled today. A long cream table was placed in the center of the garden where food and drinks were displayed. The reception would obviously be held there.

White benches were spread on the two sides of the chapel, occupied by the few family members and friends who'd been hastily invited to the wedding. Ivy, Jessica, Reese, Kay, Miguel, Maria, Noah, his wife Christina, their daughter Nikki, Chad and Valerie, who'd just returned from their visit to Castleton, Alistair, Julian, Martin and Pilar were all seated, waiting for them. Only Sheridan and Luis were standing, along with Fox, for they were the best man and maid-of-honor. Of course, Father Lonigan also stood at the front, inwardly impatient to finally get to marry the soulmates.

Slowly, Theresa and her father stopped at the edge of the aisle, wide smiles lighting up both their faces.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Nicholas Foxworth Crane and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald in marriage. Should there be anyone whom has cause why this couple should not be united, they must speak now or forever hold their peace." No one spoke as expected. "As the family and friends of Fox and Theresa, you are here to express your love, hope and joy for this occasion. If you truly love them, you will never do anything to hinder their marriage, never speak against either spouse, and support the marriage through the good times and the hard times. Will you accept and support this marriage? If so, answer 'we will'." Immediately, all the people present repeated the words.

"We will." Martin then escorted his daughter up front.

"Who is it that brings this woman to this man?"

"I, Martin Fitzgerald, father of the bride, do on behalf of her family and friends." He gave his daughter's hand to Fox, patted the young man on his shoulder as to signify how proud he was and took place beside his wife who was crying tears of joy.

"Fox and Theresa, life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of the greatest challenges of life and is the shared goal of a marriage." Looking at the soon-to-be-wed couple lovingly, he continued. "Fox, do you take Theresa Andeana Lopez-Fitzgerald, to be your wife, to love, honor, cherish and _protect _her, forsaking all others _and _holding only onto her?"

"Yes, I, Nicholas Foxworth Crane, take her to be my lawfully wedded wife, knowing in my heart that she will be a faithful friend as well as a true and loving companion. On this wondrous day, in the presence of God and our relatives as witnesses, I give to her my sacred vow that as her husband, I will always be with her and support her in times of sickness and in times of health; in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I further promise to love her completely, to console and comfort her during difficult times; to encourage her to achieve her full potential; to laugh with her and to grieve with her; to share with her life's simplest but most enduring pleasures; to be truthful and honest with her and to cherish her for as long as I shall live.

"Theresa, do you take Nicholas Foxworth Crane, to be your husband, to love, honor, cherish and _protect _him, forsaking all others _and _holding only onto him?"

"Yes, I, Theresa Andeana Lopez-Fitzgerald, take him to be my lawfully wedded husband, confident in my heart that he will be a faithful friend as well as a steadfast and loving companion. On this special day, in the presence of God and our relatives as witnesses, I give to him my sacred vow that as his wife, I will always be with him and support him in times of sickness and in times of health; in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I further promise to love him completely; to console and comfort him during difficult times; to encourage him to achieve his full potential; to laugh with him and to grieve with him; to share with him life's simplest but most enduring pleasures; to be truthful and honest with him and to cherish him for as long as I shall live."

"Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage. You may exchange your rings." Fox walked to Luis and took Theresa's ring from him. Walking back to his bride, he slowly slid it up her finger, joining it with her engagement ring, the both forming a sparkling unity. In turn, Theresa turned to Sheridan and took the ring Alistair had selected for Fox and then put it on his finger. "Pilar, you may continue."

"A marriage ceremony represents one of life's greatest commitments. But it also is a declaration of love. I wish to read to you what Paul wrote of love in a letter to the Corinthians. I believe it is a true model of love and it is a model of love I hope you pursue in your marriage." She walked to the altar where an old bible laid. Turning a few pages, she began to read. "Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud. Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable or touchy. Love does not hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong. Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them." A single tear ran down Theresa's cheek as her mother finished her reading. She was so happy she thought she was going to explode. Julian soon took Pilar's place.

"On this special day, I suggest we all make a prayer to honor this marriage." Everyone kneeled down and crossed their hands, closing their eyes. "Dear Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with great happiness on Nicholas and Theresa's wedding day as they come before You, pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Grant that they may ever be true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring shame or heartbreak into their marriage. Temper their hearts with kindness and understanding, rid them of all pretense or jealousy. Help them to remember to be each other's sweetheart, helpmate, best friend and guide so that together they may meet the cares and problems of life more bravely. And with the passage of time, may they find great contentment in the rich joy of senior companionship. May the home they are creating today truly be a place of love and harmony where Your Spirit is always present. Bless this marriage we pray and walk beside them throughout all of their lives together. We ask these things in Jesus' name; Amen."

"Amen." everyone replied, getting up. Ivy went to the altar and took three candles from a box, fixing them to a unity candlestick. She lighted up the two at the edge and smiled.

"Fox and Theresa, the two separate candles symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. I ask that each of you take on of the lit candles and that together you light the center one." Taking their respective candles, the bride and groom lighted their unity candle. "The individual candles represent your lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one." Father Lonigan chirped in.

"Theresa and Nicholas, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Holy Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be husband and wife. Whom God hath joined together, let no one put asunder."

"May the Lord bless you and keep you." solemnly said Luis, giving his sister and Fox a kiss on the forehead.

"May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you." continued Sheridan, mimicking her husband.

"May the Lord lift up his countenance into you and give you peace." finished Alistair, embracing them both.

"Congratulations, you may kiss your bride." As soon as the words were said, Fox descended his mouth on Theresa's and kissed her longingly, enjoying the touch of those precious lips. "It is my privilege to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Fox Crane." Everyone clapped their hands and soon joined the newlyweds to congratulate them.

"I'm so happy for you Theresa. You really deserve to be happy for once without Ethan in your life." said Jessica, glancing around to see if Ivy was near. Curiously, Ethan and Fox's mother had taken the news of her son's wedding very happily. Thought Fox was so sure she'd flipped totally, it hadn't been the case. Not that she could have stopped him from marrying the love of his life but it was still good to know she accepted his bride.

"You don't need to say those things in secret Jessica. I totally agree with you." Disbelief was written over Jessica's features. Never in a million years had she thought she'd hear those words from Ivy's mouth.

"What?" The elder woman walked to them and smiled.

"You heard me correctly. Granted, Theresa and I may have had our differences but I just see how happy she makes my son and I can't help but be happy for her. I know it wouldn't have been the same with Ethan. He made his choice and despite what his heart was telling him, it was Gwen. He'll live with it now." As Theresa turned the conversation to the honeymoon, Martin walked to Fox.

"Congratulations and welcome in the family Nicholas. I hope you do right by my baby girl. Just don't hurt her or you'll have to deal with me." It was a threat but a one made out of friendship and Fox knew exactly what his father-in-law was saying. Grabbing a glass of wine, he took a sip and looked right into his eyes.

"I'd give my life before I let anything or anyone hurt her." he stated without hesitation.

"Good. Now that it's settled, why don't we eat and celebrate this happy day? A toast to Theresa and Fox! May their marriage be full of happy moments!" Everyone lifted their glasses.

"To them." It was then the newlyweds knew everything would be perfect for them.

* * *

At the beach, Gwen was getting impatient. She couldn't wait to come back home and take a nice and long warm bath. She'd played with her husband and adopted son all day on the beach and she couldn't bare the touch of sand any longer. She was exhausted and the little boy insisted so much to stay a little longer that she was on the verge of losing it. He's talked about his mother all day and Gwen had more than enough. Whenever her rival's name was said, she couldn't help but cringe.

"It's almost 5 o'clock Darling, don't you think we should head back home now?"

"I want to stay a little longer! Please!" pleaded Ethan Martin, showing his adopted father his puppy dog eyes. "We're having so much fun building the castle!" Ethan sighed, finding himself between two hot fires. On one side, his wife was getting angrier by the minute while on the other, his godson was having a good moment, something he'd been deprived of for months.

"Darling, I believe staying a little longer won't do us any harm. Besides, I promised Little Ethan I would buy him his favorite ice cream once the castle would be built." Unable to contain the rage she'd bottled up inside all afternoon, she got up and grabbed Theresa's son by the arm violently.

"It's enough! I'm sick and tired of us having to bend down to his every desire! He'll have to learn nothing is free in life and that he can't have everything!"

"Gwen! Don't!" exclaimed Ethan but she wasn't listening. Kneeling down to look at the boy right in the eyes, she tightened her grip.

"You hear me and listen well. When mommy says it's time to go, you don't insist ok? You do what she says without a word. I will not support your whining any longer!"

"You're not my mommy! Let go of me!" screamed back Ethan Martin, trying to break free blonde's hold. He spat on her face and as soon as Gwen's hand left his arm, he ran away.

"Little Ethan! Where are you going?" Quite shaken up, Ethan tried to follow his godson but gave up when he lost track of him. Running back to his wife, he held himself back from lashing out at her. "Are you happy now?"

"He deserved it! My God Ethan, when are you going to learn that we have to be strict with the child? His bitch of a mother always gave him everything he wanted but I won't! Mother's idea of sending him off to boarding school was a pretty good one. I fully intend on making sure it happens soon."

"We've already talked about that. There's no way I will send him away. The subject is closed! I won't go back on my decision." he replied angrily. _I have to find Little Ethan soon or I know some people who will be more than happy to kill me._

"Then, you have a decision to make. I won't always come up second after him Ethan. I will not accept it. Either he goes or I'm leaving."

"What? Are you asking me to choose between you two?"

"Yes. So who is it going to be? Me or Ethan Martin?" Keeping quiet for a little while, he finally turned to her, his face stone-cold.

"I won't choose either one of you. You'll have to get along. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to search for my godson before something happens to him. You can go back to the mansion. I'll see you later." Before she had the time to reply, he was gone. _You won't always flee Ethan. One day, I will get everything I want and I can't wait for it to happen._

* * *

_Next on Time to move on:_

A surprise awaits Ethan in the newspaper.

Breakfast at the Crane mansion isn't as calm as it would normally be!

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	9. Look away

**Look away**

_Note: Mild language WARNING!_

The next morning, Ethan woke up later than usual. He'd fallen asleep around midnight in the library after yet another fight with his wife. She'd started to yell at him right after he'd set foot in their bedroom.

Flashback

_**"You've taken your time!" Arms crossed, she was sitting on their bed with a book at her side.**_

_**"Little Ethan wasn't quite easy to find. It's a chance I knew all the places he could be at. I've found him at Miguel's house. He was eating with Kay when I arrived."**_

_**"You see! Another reason to send him off to boarding school! He doesn't have any manners!" Feeling the anger build inside him again, Ethan quickly got his shirt and pants off.**_

_**"As I told you earlier, I won't go back on my decision to keep him with us here. I made a promise to Theresa that I wouldn't send him away and I will not break it."**_

_**"Isn't it ironic that you're talking about promises since you can't seem to keep the ones you're making to me. With others, everything is fine but with your OWN WIFE, it's too hard."**_

_**"Don't start with that again Gwen. I have one hell of a headache right now. I don't need to get into another argument with you."**_

_**"Oh no! I'm not finished. You see, every single time I try to put some sense in you concerning Ethan Martin, you find a way to evade. Well, I won't let you get away with this until you swear on both Nathan and Sarah's heads that you're gonna send him off to boarding school. I'm tired of always being second. I've always been with Theresa, I won't be with her son." Firmly, she planted herself right in front of her husband. Ethan could smell all the alcool she'd taken.**_

_**"And I'm telling you right here and now that I won't go back on my word. It's about time I stand up to you. Taking him from Theresa was hard enough the first time and soon, I will take Jane too. I can't break her down completely Gwen. I don't want to have her death on my conscience. Maybe you wouldn't mind but I would."**_

_**"Knowing Theresa is dead would be so sweet to my ears. I would finally be rid of her!"**_

_**"You don't know what you're saying anymore. You don't think that."**_

_**"Oh but I do Darling. I'm completely aware of what I'm saying. I mean every thing I say to you. I'd love to see that baby-murdering bitch dead. I would go and dance on her grave while gloating on having won over her!" Unable to hear more, Ethan pushed her on the bed and kissed her hard. If there was a way to shut her up, it was this one. Concentring all his energy on her, he began to undress her.**_

_**"Ah, you want it wild tonight don't you?" he heard her whisper in his neck. **__Please God, forgive me for what I'm going to do.__** Taking back her mouth in his, he made love to her as quickly and tough as possible. Eyes closed, he was in another world.**_

_**"Oh Theresa,YES! I love you." he exclaimed as he felt his release pour out of him. Immediately, he felt himself being pushed away from the bed.**_

_**"You dirty bastard! I can't believe you said that while making love to me!" Seeing the furious gaze of his wife, he wondered what he could have possibly said to angry her.**_

_**"What did I say?" Remaining quiet, she walked up to him and slapped him as hard as she could.**_

_**"Theresa's name! Are you always thinking of her when we're having sex? ANSWER ME!" He turned around, not wanting to see Gwen like this anymore. **__Oh Christ! Did I really mentionned Theresa's name out loud? Ethan, try to take back on yourself. You love Gwen, not Theresa. Stop letting her enter your mind. __**"You're mistaken Darling. I think the alcool you took is getting to your head. We'll talk about everything tomorrow morning. It's late and I want to sleep."**_

_**"ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" his wife repeated, standing still.**_

_**"Alright. If you take it that way, I'll sleep in a guest room. Good night sweetheart. I love you." He kissed her and left.**_

End of flashback

After closing the door of his bedroom, all Ethan could remember is that he'd walked a bit on the terrace outside and then went to the library. The sight of a picture laying next to him caught his eyes. It was one of Theresa and him taken a little bit before Gwen had told him she was pregnant.

_What would I give to go back in time and propose to Theresa instead of Gwen?_

Getting up, he slowly made his way to the kitchen where Alistair, Katherine, Julian, Rebecca, Sheridan, Luis, Gwen, Chad and Valerie were all eating breakfast. Only Fox was mysteriously still asleep it seemed or he'd already be there.

"Good morning Ethan."

"Morning Chad. Where's Fox? He's down here normally." Julian and Alistair exchanged a look and smiled.

"I believe he had quite an exhausting night yesterday dear. It would have surprised me to see him awake at this hour." the Crane patriarch simply stated. Throwing a weird look at him, Ethan grabbed two pancakes and sat down at his wife's side.

"Mind if I read the newspaper this morning Darling?" Without a word, Gwen gave him the piece of paper, got up and walked away with her mother.

"Is something wrong between you two?" asked Chad, having noticed his friend's tired appearance and the obstination to remain quiet Mrs. Winthrop had showed.

"We had a fight last night that's all. It's not my fault if she can't stand the fact that Little Ethan needs attention." Preferring not to know more, everyone returned to their breakfast while Ethan was opening the newspaper. As his eyes came across a picture of Fox and Theresa, his heart literally stopped. The picture and headline couldn't lie. Astonished, he read it out loud. "Heir to the Crane fortune, Nicholas Foxworth Crane marries sweetheart Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald in a private ceremony." Looking back at Chad, he stared in his eyes. "Tell me it's just a big joke. Tell me it's a prank they're pulling on me."

"No buddy, it's true. I was at their wedding yesterday. They are truly married." _No! It can't be happening! Theresa can't have moved on so fast... she just can't!_

"What's wrong with that Ethan? Can't stand that Theresa is now my wife because you wish she was yours?" mocked Fox, entering the kitchen with his bride.

"Forget that! I would not be his wife even if he was the greatest man on Earth! I can't stand liars and even less no-balls chickens!" Giving her groom a kiss on the lips, she smiled. "Besides, I have the most gorgeous, caring and loving man as my husband now." Seeing them so happy almost made Ethan sick to his stomach.

"I suggest you two eat a bit because there's a lot to do today. First of all, some of my men will bring your things in the new bedroom you and your husband will share Theresa and then, I'll show you your new study. I know you want to be a fashion designer and I will provide you the equipment you need to start creating as soon as you can." At that moment, the phone rang and Alistair stopped his list of things to do to answer, seeing as he was the closest one.

"Hello?"

"Can I speak with Mr. Alistair Crane please."

"This is I."

"Oh, well, I'm Judge Roberts' secretary. I am calling per your request concerning Mrs. Crane versus Mrs. Winthrop for attempted murder and kidnapping charges. Mrs. Roberts has accepted to receive you this afternoon for a confidential meeting Your wife is also invited, of course.

"You can be sure I'll be there. Thank you very much. Have a nice day." Hanging up, he turned back to his wife. "Well, dear Katherine, why don't we get everything ready for our new granddaughter-in-law?" Knowing he wanted to get started right away, she nodded and followed her husband out of the dining room.

"They really wanted you in this family Resa. Just by everything they're doing for you, I can tell it." stated Fox once his grandparents were gone.

"I guess you're right. Let's eat now."

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Theresa informs Alistair and Katherine of her master plan against the Hotchkiss women and Ethan.

At the hearing, Theresa's unexpected move surprises the Winthrops.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	10. The hearing

**_The hearing_**

_Note: This chapter is set three weeks after Fox and Theresa's wedding._

_Author's note: To all my readers, I'm so very sorry I haven't updated in ages. My writer's block for this story was HUGE but now, it seems diminished so I'm enjoying it while I can._

_Reminder: This story is begins in 2005, after Ethan chose Gwen over Theresa at the compound. It'll continue from there, meaning Jonathan doesn't exist and Justin Hartley is still Fox._

"I'm all ears, Alistair." Seated across her husband, Katherine was waiting anxiously to hear about why he had asked her to meet him in his private study. Behind the mahogany desk, Alistair leaned back and lighted one of his famous cigars.

"As you know, I have made several calls after the wedding three weeks ago concerning the attempted murder and kidnapping charges that Theresa filed against Gwen when they came back from the compound. It turns out that Judge Tara Roberts has accepted to handle the case, as she told me right after I met her that day, and scheduled a hearing for this afternoon."

"Well, that's good news."

"Indeed, it is."

"I presume you have also called Ken Howard?"

"But of course. There's no one else I trust more than him to represent our family."

"I bet the thirty hundred thousand dollars you surely transferred into his personal account far from discouraged him to represent Theresa."

"Money or not, Ken would have accepted this job. After all, he has a rather large family to support."

"True." Taking a sip from a tea Angie had just brought, Katherine locked her gaze with Alistair's. "However, I am curious as to why the hearing has been scheduled rather quickly."

"There's no time like the present. The sooner we get Gwen out of our hair, the better for everyone involved."

"Ah! So you did pull some strings."

"What's wrong with doing that every once in a while?"

"Absolutely nothing. I just expected we'd give Fox and Theresa a few more weeks of blissful honeymoon before starting the war against the Hotchkiss women."

"And Ethan, my dear. Let's not forget about him."

"Is it really necessary to include him? I mean, hasn't he suffered enough for the last two years and a half?"

"No." The answer came clear and definitive. Both pair of eyes turned towards the door of the study where an elegantly-clothed Theresa stood. Hair pulled back in a neat chignon with some strands loose around her face, Alistair found her to be the splitting image of his mother in her mid-twenties. It astonished him, to say the least.

"Thank you for joining us so quickly Theresa. May I ask where is your husband?"

"Upstairs with Jane. He wanted to spend some time with her before the hearing."

"I see." Katherine raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding the meaning of the brief exchange. Noting her enquiring look as his new granddaughter-in-law took the seat next to her, Alistair simply nodded.

"Not to worry, my dear, all will be explained soon enough."

"Fine." Turning towards Theresa, she continued. "About Ethan…"

"He will pay along with his treacherous wife and poisonous mother-in-law." The tone admitted no mistake on her intentions.

"But…"

"Mrs. Crane, with all due respect, do not take it badly but I know exactly what I'm doing. Ethan deserves, as much as Gwen or Rebecca, to suffer my wrath. He has put me through enough, hurt me one too many times, for him to be ignored."

"I cannot say I don't see your point. From everything Alistair has explained to me, you've been through hell and back."

"That's right and it's about time I return the favor."

"Of course but, it's just that Ethan has always seemed to be…"

"..the model of an upstanding, loyal and naturally good man?"

"Yes."

"Trust me, he's not. Appearances are sometimes very deceiving. It's the case with him."

"Ladies, not that this is not interesting but we do have to talk about the hearing." reminded Alistair, quite amused by the fiery brunette seated next to his wife. "Theresa, I have contacted Ken Howard, an attorney who's been loyal to our family for a very long time. He will represent you from now on. As for Woody Stumper, I arranged for him to receive a generous amount of money which will cover all the legal fees he has accumulated in regards of your case. Also, at your request, he was granted permission to work behind the scenes with Mr. Howard."

"Excellent. Woody might not have a lot of experience in a courtroom but he did help me in the past. I owed him that much. Thank you."

"Do not thank me. You are now a member of my family and you deserve the best. Now, about the charges… From what I've discussed with Ken, they will most likely be reinstated, seeing as Judge Reilly had been bribed and blackmailed by Rebecca Hotchkiss."

"No surprise there. I assume the blackmail was about a sex tape of them."

"Definitely."

"Ewww." A smile crept on the patriarch's face. He really liked the younger woman. "What about the drug interaction part? Ethan will surely rely on that argumentation to nullify the charges."

"It won't work. The proofs provided had been doctored. I've had Dr. Julie Spencer look into Gwen's medical file. She had only been taking mild sleeping aids so the sedative she was given at the hospital couldn't have interacted with them. At the best, she would have fallen asleep relatively fast."

"Let me guess. Rebecca again?"

"Yes. She apparently knew a secret of Eve Russell's past."

"Why am I still not surprised?"

"It leaves us to the result. Gwen will be found guilty and most likely sent to jail."

"No." That took Alistair aback, as it did Katherine.

"What?" they both exclaimed in unison.

"I will drop the charges."

"You say you want her to pay. Why the sudden turnaround?"

"Yes, Katherine, I did say that I want Gwen to pay. And she will."

"Oh. I see." The patriarch smiled wickedly. "Going to jail would be far too easy."

"Exactly. You see, here is what Fox and I planned…"

* * *

At two o'clock, the Winthrops, followed by Rebecca, stepped inside courtroom 7 of the Maine Harmony Courthouse, only to be greeted by Julian, Chad and Valerie who were talking among themselves. A few feet away, Fox, Ivy and Theresa – who was holding Jane – seemed to be engrossed in a rather serious conversation with a man Ethan immediately recognized as Ken Howard, the official Crane attorney since the infamous summer of 2001.

"I demand to know why we were summoned here!" The whiny voice of Rebecca reverberated on the walls, stopping the conversations altogether. "I mean, I was having a very good time with the pool boy and…"

"We _do not_ want to know, thank you!" hurriedly responded Ivy, bringing her hands on her granddaughter's ears as an attempt to shield her from the strawberry-blond audacious words. Spotting the infant, Gwen made no effort to hide her obvious anger at the fact that Theresa was holding "her" child. She was about to walk to her nemesis when Ken promptly stopped her by stepping in front of his client.

"Excuse me. Who are you?" he asked, eyeing the strawberry-blond.

"Rebecca Hotchkiss, Gwen's mother."

"Oh! How unpleasant to meet you." The look of utter shock that flashed on Rebecca's face didn't go unnoticed by neither Julian nor Fox. Both chuckled under their breath. "However, I don't remember you being subpoenaed for this afternoon's hearing. So, may I ask, what are you doing here?"

"Supporting my Gwennie of course! What do you think?"

"I do not believe you want to know my opinion. Anyhow, I'll ask you to leave."

"Ken…" At the familiarity of Ethan's tone, the older attorney shot daggers at his younger wannabe.

"It's _Mr. Howard_ for you. Remember, I am _not_ one of your friends or a colleague you work everyday with."

"Right. I'm sorry. Mr. Howard, you cannot ask Rebecca to leave because she's a witness…"

"I did not see her name on the list of witnesses."

"That's impossible."

"Check it out for yourself, Mr. Smart." Annoyed by the arrogant tone of his predecessor, Ethan grabbed the witness list and scanned it rapidly once, then twice. Before long, he had to admit that Ken was right. Rebecca's name was not on the list. Gwen approached her husband, temporarily ignoring the sight of Jane with Theresa.

"So?"

"He was right, Gwen. Your mother has to leave."

"What? Ethan! She's the only one who can testify for me, aside from the psychiatrist!"

"I know but I'll have to do without her. We do still have the doctor's report on the interaction of your drugs. That alone should suffice to have you cleared again."

"I hope so or we'll never get Jane." The words struck something in him and he glared at his wife.

"_Don't_ make this about _my_ daughter. We're not here for _that_." he hissed, a malevolent expression dancing in his blue irises. For a moment, Gwen stood there, mouth agape and not believing what she'd just heard.

"But…"

"No buts. Today's hearing is about trying to get you exonerated of the attempted murder and kidnapping charges Theresa filed once back from the compound. Period."

"I know…"

"Well, prove it and keep your mouth shut from now on. That'll be helpful." Turning towards Theresa, he couldn't help but be touched by the sight of their daughter being comfortably snuggled in her arms. Then Fox appeared next to her and envy filled Ethan's heart. What would he give to be in his half-brother's shoes at that moment?

* * *

Sandra Wilkinson picked up a folder and began to read, already wishing the hearing was over so she could make it on time to her son's baseball practice.

"Court case 815-WINCRA65487-005, Theresa Crane versus Gwen Winthrop. The honorable judge Tara Roberts presiding." As if on cue, the tall blonde woman in her mid-thirties dressed in black robes, scanned the courtroom, immediately spotting the enemy.

"I declare the hearing open. Mr. Howard, since you petitioned for this case to be reopened, make your statement."

"Thank you, your Honor. It has been brought to my knowledge that Judge James E. Reilly, who dropped the attempted murder and kidnapping charges against Mrs. Gwen Winthrop had been blackmailed by none other than Rebecca Hotchkiss, the defendant's mother. Considering that obvious disrespect of the ethical code of justice, I, on the behalf of my client Mrs. Theresa Crane, ask the court to reject Judge Reilly's ruling and proceed to have the charges reinstated."

"Objection, your Honor! There's no evidence to support Mr. Howard's claim."

"Overruled. Mr. Winthrop, I have personally seen the tape which had been used to corrupt my former colleague. There is absolutely no shadow of a doubt that Miss Hotchkiss had been blackmailing him." Tara's eyes burned a hole in the younger lawyer before turning back to Ken. "I am willing to reject the previous ruling, Mr. Howard. However, as to close this case once and for all, I demand that both you and Mr. Winthrop present your arguments starting as of now."

"It is fully acceptable. My client would also like to have this case closed as soon as possible."

"Excellent!" Ethan felt trapped by the sudden change. Clearing his throat, he waited for Tara to acknowledge him. "Yes, Mr. Winthrop?"

"Your Honor, if I may, I would like to ask for a 10-minute recess."

"Why?"

"With all due respect, my client needs some time to assess the latest developments."

"This is preposterous!" exclaimed Ken, fully knowing that his younger wannabe was only trying to buy himself some time. "Mr. Winthrop doesn't seem to realize that we have a life outside these walls and would rather enjoy our Saturdays out with our family instead of being here, wasting time because of stupid reasons like that."

"Indeed, Mr. Howard." Two cold sapphire-blue eyes plunged into Ethan's crystal blue orbs. "I deny the recess. Now, I suggest you present me your client's defense before my patience wears thin and I give out a ruling I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate." The veiled threat registered quickly into Ethan's brain and he immediately made his statement. Then, Ken came into action.

* * *

Less than 45 minutes later, Tara was annoyed, VERY annoyed. The first 15 minutes had been entertaining with Ken giving all he'd got and basically dragging Gwen through the coals about her past with Theresa. He had even made reference to that fateful night in 2000 when she had gone into one of her rages with a baseball bat. That had been fun. But for half an hour now, Ethan had half-heartedly gone on and on about the fact that Gwen's behavior had been the result of a drug interaction, shoving the medical expertise file résumé down their throats every time it suited his purpose. Taking one long look around proved that she wasn't the one who had enough, if Julian, Ivy, Fox, Chad, Theresa, Ken and Valerie's faces were any indication.

"Thank you, Mr. Winthrop. That will be quite enough. I believe we all got the part where Gwen's actions were medically created." Upon her statement, silence filled the room. Fox leaned in, whispering in Ken's ear.

"Wasn't Judge Roberts going to reinstate the charges?"

"She will, Fox. Don't worry. She's just paving the road of Ethan's downfall." As if she'd overheard them, Tara seized her copy of the medical expertise file and promptly opened it, taking the cover sheet in her hands.

"Mr. Winthrop, I have listened to your argumentation very closely but something has caught my eyes while I was going over the expertise. Why isn't there the Harmony Hospital seal engraved on the official report?" The question had the effect of thunder; it struck Ethan squarely, freezing him on the spot.

"What?" Fox turned to face his dumbfounded wife, taking in the surprised expression gracing her pretty and elegant features. A chuckled escaped his throat, snapping his mother out of her state of confusion.

"Oh, that's just rich!"

"What are you talking about Foxworth? What does this mean?"

"Ivy dear, I believe our son has just understood that, apparently, something is wrong with the expertise report."

"It's obviously been doctored, made up." Words registered, Ivy felt a wicked smile creep on her lips.

"Good! Anything to keep Gwen from getting her greedy hands on my sweet granddaughter." she whispered, kissing Jane's blond curls.

"Your Honor…I…" Ethan mumbled, gaining his voice back only to be cut by Tara.

"Mr. Winthrop, as a professional and competent attorney, it is your obligation to know that every official medical document _has_ to have the hospital seal from where it was produced engraved on AND to ensure that _any_of the ones you use in court are following the protocol as well." Before she could continue, Gwen spoke up.

"Your Honor, my husband has been through some difficult times and…"

"I _do not_ care, Mrs. Winthrop, and neither did I give you the permission to talk so sit back and keep quiet." The judge then refocused on Ethan. "Mr. Winthrop, how long have you been practicing law?"

"Since my graduation from Harvard in 1999."

"Harvard, huh? Yet, you seemingly forgot about that very specific and largely important protocol."

"Yes, your Honor. Circumstances were rather aggravating; it slipped my mind."

"Well, whether or not the slip was intentional, it is unacceptable in my court. Miss Wilkinson, please remove the document from the evidence." All color drained from Gwen's face. Without the medical expertise proving the drug interaction, her defense was pretty much worth nothing. As she cast a glance at her husband's speechless stance, she could feel her confidence slowly crumbling all over the place and her change of getting 'her' baby girl reduce by the second.

"Judge Roberts, I'm pleading with you not to punish Ethan for such a silly technicality. Everyone makes mistakes."

"True, such as you're doing right now with that little outburst of yours. And for your information, that report is most likely a fake."

"But…" In half of a second, Ethan recovered his senses and motioned for her seat.

"Gwen…" he seethed through clenched teeth, sending her a deathly stare, "…sit down."

"Ethan..."

"No. _Just_…_do_…_it_!" he stressed, anger building inside him.

"I suggest you do as you're told, Mrs. Winthrop and I'm warning you. Not another word or, on top of it all, I'll hold you in contempt. Am I clear?" The silenced that followed was answer enough for Tara, who calmly reprised where she'd left off. "Now, from where we stand, Mr. Winthrop, there's nothing much more to add to your defense unless you have pertinent witnesses you can call to the stand, such as the doctor who did the expertise."

"Doctor Eve Russell's husband passed away recently. She's on a temporary leave from her medical duties."

"Or maybe the psychiatrist who treated Gwen, perhaps?"

"Dr. Ackland was unreachable on such a short notice." Ken cleared his throat as if to notice he wanted to say something.

"Yes, Mr. Howard?"

"You Honor, Dr. David Ackland has left Harmony and transferred Mrs. Winthrop's medical case to Dr. Natalie Sinclair, effective immediately. He had also decided to ask for permission to rescind from the court case."

"Indeed, we were noticed about that earlier this week. Any indication to why?"

"I believe it was for personal reasons."

"Why wasn't I informed?" exclaimed Ethan, clearly irritated by the complicity he felt between his peer and the judge.

"You would have known about it should you have checked your voicemail this morning. I left a message concerning that matter."

"I didn't have my phone with me."

"Of course, you didn't." Ken snarled, mocking the evident incompetency of his younger wannabe. "Anyhow, Dr. Sinclair cannot be called to the stand for the simple reason she hasn't had the time to go over the paperwork."

"Absolutely." approved Tara, discarding the so-called expertise report aside. Near Ken, Fox grabbed Theresa's hand, as if to silently tell her things would unravel from that point onward. "Well then, Mr. Winthrop, since your almost passionate argumentation is worthless, if you do not have anything to add, we'll move on to my ruling." Humiliation clearly written on his face, Ethan signed heavily.

"Please do, your Honor." A bailiff spoke up.

"All rise!" Once everyone was standing, Tara proceeded.

"Taking in consideration the latest developments, I, Judge Tara Roberts, hereby declare that the attempted murder and kidnapping charges be reinstated, effective immediately. Furthermore, on the ground of a pointless defense and strong evidence pertaining to the accusations, added to the fact that Mr. Winthrop is representing his own wife – a fact that nullifies his defense anyway – and that he has ties to Mrs. Crane via her youngest child – creating a conflict of interest –, I find Gwen Hotchkiss Winthrop guilty of all charges." Upon hearing the conviction, Ethan's wife became even paler. She dreaded the verdict that would come next. "Mrs. Winthrop, I sentence you to 3 years in jail, with a possibility to get out on parole after 18 months, and to be supervised on a weekly basis after your release for 5 years to prevent any recurrence." Before she could close the case, ending the hearing, Ken spoke.

"With all due respect, my client has to say something if she is allowed."

"But of course." Theresa looked straight at Tara, putting in motion the first part of her master plan to wreck the lives of the Hotchkiss women and the man she used to love.

"Your Honor, I would like to drop the charges against Gwen." Confusion befell the room, with Julian gasping, Ivy nearly choking on her saliva, Chad and Valerie raising their eyebrows and Tara dropping her pen.

"Excuse me? Are you sure?"

"Yes." She turned her heads towards her rival. "For the last three weeks, I have looked back on everything and I somehow understand. Gwen was in a dark place after learning I was Jane's biological mother and she let her unraveling emotions take control which led to her stabbing me. For a split second, I realized that I would have probably done the same thing if our roles were reversed, given I'd had been in the same place as she was mentally. That's why I want to drop the charges."

"Very well. Mrs. Winthrop, it seems a very generous soul has just given you your freedom back. Congratulations! The case is dismissed. However, I demand that Dr. Sinclair meet you once a week to monitor your progress pertaining to your mental recovery from the breakdown."

"Your Honor, if I may…" added Theresa, "…there is something I'd like to discuss while we're all here."

"Go ahead."

"I want to settle current custody of my daughter Jane."

"Right. It has come to my attention that Mr. Winthrop has sued to obtain full custody."

"Yes, you Honor, he has. However, in regards to the charges against Gwen being dropped, I see no reason to engage in a custody battle. That's why I want temporary custody of our little girl awarded to Ethan." Ivy sucked in a breath at that announcement, obviously disagreeing with Theresa's decision. Fox whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry Mother; she knows what she's doing. It's all part of her plan."

"Very well then. I grant temporary custody of the infant Jane Gabrielle Winthrop to her father for a period of three months with visitation rights from her mother. Another hearing will be scheduled then for further developments. This hearing is over." Getting up, Tara left for her chambers, leaving an incredulous Ethan behind. To say that he was shocked was the understatement of the year. His mouth agape, he couldn't believe what Theresa had just done. Not only had she saved Gwen from years in prison and possibly harm she could have suffered from while locked up but she had also ensured Gwen's recovery by allowing Jane to be around her.

Theresa and Fox exited the courtroom with a smile on their faces, followed by Julian, Ivy – still holding Jane –, Chad and Valerie.

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

_A truce is called._

_Gwen informs Rebecca of Theresa's good gestures._

_Fox has it out with Ethan...again._

_

* * *

_

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	11. Family values

_**Family values**_

_Note: Might contain m__ild language WARNING! _

_Reminder: This story is begins in 2005, after Ethan chose Gwen over Theresa at the compound. It'll continue from there, meaning Jonathan doesn't exist and Justin Hartley is still Fox._

* * *

Now seated outside in the park facing the Harmony Courthouse, Ivy was still flabbergasted by the recent turn of events.

"I still can't believe you've just let Gwen get away with what she's done to you on top of turning my sweet granddaughter over to Ethan!"

"Ivy, you should know by now that I had my own reasons to do what I did. And like Fox said in the courtroom, it's all part of the plan."

"Which you haven't told us about yet."

"All in due time, Mother. My wife knows what she's doing and whom she's dealing with."

"Dear, there's no need to worry." Julian said, putting a comforting hand on his wife's arm.

"Well, I'm sorry, Julian. I strongly disagree. I mean, everyone here knows how uncontrollable and unstable Gwen is. Sending Jane there will put her at risk and that scares the hell out of me."

"The blonde bitch would never dare hurt her, Mrs. Crane." Theresa nodded at the comment.

"Valerie is right. And why is that? Because she needs my daughter to hold onto Ethan and as long as that stands, she will be safe."

"Theresa does have a point." Chad pointed out. "And it's working in our favor."

"Precisely."

"Okay. All of that is good but what if, by some sort of unfortunate turn of event, Gwen was to lose that hold? What would happen then? How would Jane be safe?"

"I don't think it'll happen but if it was to, Ivy, we wouldn't have to worry anyway because Ethan himself would turn against her."

"So, either way, she'd be screwed. Brilliant, Theresa."

"Thank you Julian." Turning to her mother-in-law, she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, okay. I, along with Alistair and Fox, have thought about it from all sides. And of course, if things were to go wrong, we do have a back-up plan. I can guarantee you there is absolutely no way my precious little girl will get hurt." To emphasize her words, she stroked her baby girl's blonde hair. "Now, I do hope that despite your doubts about the plan, you do trust me."

"I trust you with every cell in my body, Theresa. No need to ask. But you cannot stop a grandmother from fearing for her grandchildren no more than you can stop a mother from worrying for her child. It's in our nature."

"True." Fox reached for the baby.

"Mind if I hold her?"

"Not at all. Here." As soon as Jane left her arms, Ivy spotted Ethan crossing the street, obviously walking towards them. "Incoming."

"What?" Following his mother's gaze, Fox rolled his eyes. "Oh! Of course, he just had to ruin our moment."

"Fox, please." exclaimed Theresa, understanding who exactly was approaching.

"What? I'm sorry but it's stronger than me. I can't help but voice my displeasure whenever he's around."

"Well, try _harder_."

"Don't tell me you softening towards him, Resa…"

"No, I'm not. But we do have to deal with him in the coming months so you better get used to it."

"Like that'll ever happen…" The stern glare he received from his wife changed his tune. "Alright. I'll try harder."

"Good."

"What is good?" Turning her head towards the newcomer, she was about to respond when her husband beat her to it.

"None of your business."

"Okay…I get the hint. Theresa, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure"

"Why don't you just say it here? It's not like my wife and I have any secrets between us anyway."

"I'd rather it be privately, if you don't mind."

"Unfortunately, I do. I don't see your point of talking to my wife privately when we were all there in the courtroom and know what happened. Unless, you have something to hide…that is."

"I don't have anything to hide. I just want to talk to Theresa alone."

"Really, Ethan, what's wrong with talking in front of all of us?"

"Nothing, Chad. It's just that…"

"Just what?"

"Oh, for God's sake, don't you understand the word 'privacy', Fox?"

"Don't you understand the word 'off-limits'?"

"Okay, that's enough!" exclaimed Theresa, unnerved by the bickering taking place. "Ethan, if you have something to say, please do…now. We don't have all day and I would like to spend some quality time with my daughter before she goes to live with you."

"I understand. Look, I just wanted to personally thank you for what you did in there. I know it must have been very difficult for you to get over your anger towards Gwen regarding the stabbing and all. But I'm so very glad and proud that you did. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you…"

"You don't have to because despite what you might think, I didn't do it for you or for your wife. I did it for me. You have no idea how tired I am of the constant fighting, the hatred and the animosity. It has taken its toll on me and I just couldn't live with it any longer. Yes, I've let Gwen off the hook because there has been so much pain and heartache the last three months, I wanted it to stop. And as far as Jane's custody being turned over to you goes, it was meant as a truce."

"A truce?"

"Yes. So Gwen can heal and Theresa can be free of the nightmare you've turned her life into for the last two years and a half."

"Be nice, Fox."'

"I _am_, Chad. I'm merely stating the truth here and we perfectly know it. Ethan, you said you didn't know how to repay Theresa for her generosity today…well, I think I have an idea."

"I'm listening."

"What do you say about letting Little Ethan spend every two weekends with us? After all, the boy needs access to his mom and the same can be said for the other way around." Silence befell the group for about a minute before Ethan responded.

"I can't say I'm really surprised there…but I do believe a schedule could be worked out." Theresa didn't believe her ears.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, absolutely. Fox's idea is great. Besides, it would only be fair that with everything you just gave me, I give in return."

"You would do this even without Gwen's approval?" Ivy asked, openly doubting his will.

"As far as I am concerned, I was designated by Julian as the only guardian of the child. My wife has no say in any matters which concerns him. He's _my_ son by adoption, not hers."

"We're settled then. We'll bring Jane to you tonight around seven."

"Sure. I'll be waiting. Have a good afternoon." Ethan's glance lasted on Theresa a little longer then he turned around and walked away. Just to piss him off, Fox winked at Chad and bragged out loud.

"My ideas are _always_ great." Unable to resist, Valerie playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"Oh come on there! That was so uncalled for!"

"Valerie, you should know by now that my husband can never stop himself from hurling insults at Ethan. Every single chance he gets, he takes it."

"It's been that way for as far as I can remember. Sibling rivalry thing, I suppose."

"Well, I do have to admit Julian that my preference for my firstborn didn't help."

"Surely not but you've changed Ivy. Your eyes are wide open now and that's all that matters. Besides, nobody can change your sons' feelings for one another."

"Nobody would be able to anyway. I grew up resenting Ethan and it'll be that way probably forever. Even more now that I am married to the so-called love of his life."

"Seriously everyone, can't we just forget about him and enjoy the afternoon? I mean, we're going to deal with him so much in the coming weeks and I'd really like to concentrate on Jane and spend a joyful time with my family."

"My wife is right. Let's get this beautiful baby girl to the beach so she can have her very first lesson in the ocean's water. Let's go."

* * *

Back in the Courthouse, Gwen walked out of the restroom where she'd just freshened up only to come face-to-face with Rebecca.

"Gwennie! I searched all over for you. How did it go?"

"I was exonerated, Mother."

"That's great! Thank God! I knew Ethan could do it!" All to her joy, it took her several seconds to notice the glum look on Gwen's face. "What's with the sad face? You should be happy."

"I am but I'd be even more if it had been because of my husband. Only, it wasn't."

"What?"

"Ethan didn't succeed into stopping the charges from being reinstated."

"But I thought you said you were free."

"That's right, I am free."

"Care to explain?" Sighing, the blonde sat down on the nearest bench.

"To make a long story short, Ken Howard discovered one of your dirty secrets. One you even concealed from me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh please! Stop with the innocent act. You blackmailed Judge Reilly into dropping the charges before, didn't you?" All color drained from Rebecca's face.

"That's irrelevant."

"Trust me, it's not. Actually, that is why the case was reopened in the first place. Mr. Hot Shot found the incriminating tape and produced the evidence to Judge Roberts."

"I knew I had let this tape lying around somewhere…How could I be so careless? I'm sorry, Gwennie. What happened next?"

"The judge rejected the previous ruling and demanded that statements be made so the case could be dealt with once and for all. Ethan tried to buy some time not to avail so the arguments were made. Afterwards, Ken dragged me through to the coals by reminding us of all the times I had _supposedly_ gone after the Latina bitch and attacked her, surely as an attempt to prove just how unstable I am."

"That's preposterous!"

"I know. He even made reference not only to the night Ethan had called off our first wedding – you know, the 'baseball bat' incident –…" While saying that, she mimicked the quotes. "…but also to when I had thrown her out the window in February of last year."

"That was accidental!"

"Exactly but Ken didn't care at all. He wanted me to appear in a bad light and he definitely made it happen."

"What about Ethan? He didn't do anything?"

"He couldn't, Mother, because you ought to know that when Mr. Howard starts, he's unstoppable. He goes at you with everything he's got. For fifteen minutes, I had to sit there and listen to him make me out to be some kind of terrible woman. Then, it was Ethan's turn and he really did go at it with the medical expertise, explaining long and hard how the stabbing and kidnapping had not been done willingly of my part but the result of the drug interaction. Unfortunately, at that point, Judge Roberts realized something was wrong with the report."

"That's impossible!"'

"Well, it is. It seems that Dr. Russell omitted to engrave the hospital seal on it. Silly technicality, I know. But it meant that it couldn't be considered as evidence, making it appear as some kind of forgery, which rendered my defense pretty much worthless. I tried to intervene, of course. Not a good idea. Let's just say that Ethan didn't want me to talk and Mrs. Roberts threatened to hold me in contempt.

"They shunned you? How dare they?"

"Really, I don't blame them. It wasn't my place to talk and I should have known."

"But still…"

"Anyhow, it was suggested that in light of the expertise being cast aside, only witnesses whom could be called to the stand would be relevant for my defense. That's where things got a little more complicated." Gwen paused for a moment, reaching for the bottle of water she'd bought from a nearby distributor and took a sip. "Not only Dr. Russell has died but apparently, Dr. Ackland decided to practice elsewhere and rescinded from the case stating personal reasons, effectively transferring my medical file to a new psychiatrist. A certain Natalie Sinclair."

"Natalie Sinclair…"

"Rings any bell?"

"Yeah. She has treated numerous Hollywood celebrities, along with a bunch of wealthy people, and has a perfectly clean slate when it comes to her career. She's probably impossible to bribe. Darn!"

"Well, since she hadn't gone over the paperwork yet, she couldn't be called to the stand. This meant we didn't have anything that could potentially form any kind of defense for me and to make it worse, Ethan was slammed. Figuratively speaking."

"What? Why?"

"It looks like the facts he's married to me not only nullified the defense firsthand _but_ Jane being his and Theresa's child sparked a conflict of interest which are both offenses in a court of law. At least from Judge Roberts' point-of-view. So I was sentenced to 3 years in jail and weekly supervisions for 5 years after my release to prevent it from happening again. Only, the unthinkable happened. Completely out of the blue and absolutely out of nowhere, Theresa herself asked for the charges to be dropped."

"I'm surely having a stroke right now because I just heard you say that Terrorsita saved you."

"No Mother. It's true. Theresa is the one who exonerated me."

"Why did she, of all people, do that?"

"Well, she babbled something along the lines of how she somehow understood how I felt and that she would have done the same things should she'd been in my shoes."

"Oh, it's such a bunch of crap."

"Mother, whether she put on a show or not, the result is the same. I'm free. All I have to do is meet Dr. Sinclair once a week so she can monitor my progress regarding the breakdown."

"And you call that free?"

"Well, it's better than jail, don't you think? And, there's more."

"What now?"

"I think you should sit down for this."

"If you believe that I'm really going to put this delicious satin fabric on such a cheap piece of wood, think again. Don't waste your saliva. I'm not sitting down."

"As you wish." Taking another sip of water, Gwen prepared to deliver the punch. "Theresa has turned over custody of Jane to us. I'm finally getting everything I've ever wanted, Mother." An incredulous look washed over Rebecca's face.

"Gwennie, I really, really do hate to burst you bubble but the Irish-Mexican trollop I know would never allow this in a million years."

"It's unbelievable, I know. I literally fell out of my chair when the words left her mouth and I have to admit, I still have a hard time believing it's really happening myself. But, it is. Jane is coming home where she belongs. With me and her father." Worries filled the strawberry-blonde but she decided against disclosing them to her daughter. After all, she's been through enough for one day.

"Speaking of, where is your husband?"

"I have no idea. He left the courtroom after the ruling. Said something about having to talk to someone."

"Yeah and we both know this person is none other than Terrorsita. Why did you let him go?"

"I don't see how I could have stopped him. He was gone before I could say a word. God knows he's probably sucking it up to her right now but I don't care because at the end of the day, I'm going to have my sweet little girl in my arms and him all to myself."

* * *

At seven o'clock, Fox pulled in the driveway of Ethan's newly-purchased house. With no sign of Gwen's convertible Sedan in sight, he breathed in relief. He _so_ didn't want to deal with her tonight. It'd been hard enough to watch Theresa fall asleep with Jane in her arms, knowing it was the last time she would see her in a while. He got out of his SUV and was about to reach for Jane in her car seat when he heard the front door open. He hadn't got the baby out yet when Ethan appeared.

"Hey. Right on time."

"As promised."

"Yeah. You weren't always good at that but things change overtime." Fox didn't even bother to reply. "Where's Theresa?"

"Apparently, not here."

"I can see that Fox. Where is she?"

"What is this? Some kind of interrogation or something?"

"No but I want to know why the mother of my child didn't even come."

"She's still at the Mansion. She fell asleep on a couch in the solarium after dinner and since I didn't want to wake her up after today's events, I took it upon myself to bring Jane like we'd promised. Satisfied?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, if you want to help, the rest of Jane's stuff is in the trunk."

"Sure." Grabbing the diaper bag and a packsack full of clothes, Fox made his way inside the house. Ethan soon joined him. Carefully putting the stroller in a corner near the entrance, he went in the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? Pepsi? Orange juice? Lemonade?" he asked, peeking in the dining room only to witness his half-brother holding Jane closely.

"No thanks. I'm not staying long anyway."

"Oh come on! Having a drink with me is not going to hurt you, you know. Besides, we have to learn to be civil since we're going to be even more in each other's orbit from now on."

"Don't make yourself any illusion Ethan. I might be borderline civil to you because I have to, for Theresa, Little Ethan and Jane's sake, but we'll never be chummy or anything. No hanging out, no parties…nothing"

"I'm not expecting any of it to happen."

"I do hope so because how I feel about you has not changed and probably never will. And while we're at it, let's get some things straight. I absolutely still hate your gut and I will never condone the hell you've put my wife through ever since I returned to Harmony."

"I thought we were over that. With what happened today…"

"Theresa exonerating Gwen and turning custody of her daughter over to you doesn't erase everything that went down."

"I saw it as a new beginning."

"Not at all. It's the continuity, plain and simple, albeit a better one. A turning point. A fresh start in her new life. You know, as a newlywed, she shouldn't even have to worry about custody and schedule issues. She should just enjoy herself with her children and family. But she can't do that now, can she? No, of course she can't. Your delusional wife made sure of it and out of the generosity of her heart, Theresa made the ultimate sacrifice. She agreed to be separated from her baby girl for the sake of Gwen's mental recovery. But hear me. It's only temporary and unless Theresa changes her mind, which I highly doubt, I will make sure that the second Dr. Sinclair deems blondie bitch fully sane again, my wife will get her daughter back."

"That goes without saying, Fox. I never intended to make this situation permanent."

"Yeah right. Like with Little Ethan when you adopted him?"

"That was different."

"How? Tell me how different it was from what's happening now, huh?"

"I…my options were…Jane wasn't…" Ethan staggered, trying to come up with something, _anything_ that could potentially be a satisfying answer. The more he thought about it, wider became the mocking smile creeping up on Fox's lips.

"You can't even tell me a single worthy explanation, can you? Really, no surprise there. You were always more bark than bite."

"I had no other option and you very well know it. Rebecca's plotting had pushed me in a corner. It was either I adopted the boy or Social Services were getting a hold of him."

"Keep telling yourself that Ethan! It's complete bull. You _had_ another option; appeal to the courts and give him back to his mother."

"I couldn't do that. I had made a promise to Gwen…"

"To hell with her! The welfare of Little Ethan should have gained priority over any meaningless group of words."

"It did!"

"Lies! God, you're such a coward, it's pathetic. Do you really, seriously, think Father would have let his son be taken away?"

"Well, he did sign his parental rights over to me…"

"Because of Rebitcha! Hadn't it been for her, none of this huge and ugly mess would have ever happened. Oh, that's right. It didn't just start then but _way_ before the sex addict went after Theresa's son… back when you ditched Gwen the night before your first wedding. My mistake."

"That was a long time ago." Seeing that his half-brother was about to walk back to the kitchen, Fox swiftly positioned Jane securely in her car seat and grabbed him, pushing him down on a nearby chair.

"Okay. For once in your miserable life _half-bro_, you're going to shut the hell up, sit down your butt and listen to what I have to say. We clear?" Shock written all over his face, the older sibling nodded.

"Crystal."

"Good. Now, I'm going to get Jane to bed upstairs and when I come back, you better still be on that chair." Before a word could get out of Ethan's mouth, Theresa's husband had already brushed past him and gone to set his daughter down for the night. Twenty minutes later, he was back into the dining room, setting both a baby monitor on the table and a glass of water. "She's fed, changed and sound asleep surrounded by her favorite stuffed animals. And I also double-checked the batteries of the monitor set just to make sure they'll work through the night."

"You didn't have to. I was actually looking forward to doing it myself."

"Well, I wanted her to at least have a familiar surrounding before she wakes up tomorrow morning all disoriented. Lord knows she's been confused enough as it is when Barbie brought her on the run." Emptying his glass in one gulp, Fox didn't let any space for a response. "Anyway, we're going to have a little chat about choices because I don't believe you quite grasp the concept correctly, judging from your track record up-to-date."

"Fox…"

"Ta-ta-ta! Shut it! Me doing the speech, you listening. Period. Every day of our lives Ethan, we have to make decisions, some more crucial than others. Such was the case for you with the Little Ethan adoption situation. You had a whole string of options in front of you but you bluntly cast the majority aside, including the more logical one which would have been to give him back to his mother. Now, I know you've constantly claimed to everyone who would listen how you couldn't in deference to the promise you'd made to the horrible woman you call your wife. In my opinion, that is a bunch of crap! And why? Because I know you worked behind the scenes to help Woody Stumper make sure Theresa would get to keep her son…how you spent many sleepless nights going through your law books, trying to find anything that could benefit her case. That, all of it, proves to me just how hypocritical you are. You make a choice one second then renegade on it the next. Story of your life."

"That's unfair."

"Unfair? Really? Looks to me like it has something in common with your less-than-recommendable track record of decision-making. Every time you've made a decision…_every single _time, up from your childhood down to your love life, people have dealt with the consequences it entailed. Whether it was me and our sisters or Gwen and Theresa, someone has always gotten hurt. You must have been blind as a bat not to see it."

"Stop! That's not true!"

"Is it? Because when I take a walk down memory lane, I can find so many examples. How about when you arranged for Mother to go to that Parisian ski resort with you and she missed the girls' recital? Or when you accidentally broke that Venetian vase and I got blamed? Or when you proposed to Theresa on Midnight Mass in front of all of Harmony and Gwen was standing a few feet away?" He stopped a few seconds, trying to find any trace of guilt in Ethan's face. To his displeasure, he could find none. "You know what just occurred to me? It wasn't Fancy or Pretty or Gwen or even me who suffered the most. My wife, the woman you claim is the love of your life, did. And for some unfathomable reason, she's still able to take in all the heartache and pain that is thrown her way. After everything she went through because of you – the scuffle with the baseball bat, the motorcycle accident, the double wedding of hell, the whole fiasco with your paternity exposure, her fake marriage to Father, her pregnancy with Little Ethan, your betrayal of her memory so soon after her supposed death, finding out Gwen was pregnant just as you were about to propose to her again, your wedding to her archenemy, Los Angeles, the loss of her son to the red Chewbacca, the surrogacy, Jane's premature birth, the stabbing, the temporary paralysis and the kidnapping just to name a few – she's still standing. That, in itself, is a miracle. Every other woman I know would have crumbled a long time ago."

"She's not every other woman."

"Darn right, she isn't. And now, she has me to rely on. Me…her husband. Who will never hurt her like you did."

"Yeah! Because you're better than me, right?"

"No, I'm not. However, I can truthfully say I'm no candidate for sainthood, Ethan, but then again, neither are you. And it's about time you take a long and hard look in the mirror and face that."

"Are you finished?"

"Not quite but I think I made my point. Now, about the schedule you wanted to work out so Theresa could spend time with her son, here." He reached for his pocket and got an envelope out. Ethan eyed it suspiciously as Fox handed it to him.

"What is it?"

"See for yourself." Opening it, he was shocked to spot the logo of Ken's firm.

"Ken Howard?"

"Like I said earlier, you make a decision and usually backpedal. So… since you don't have a good track record when it comes to keeping your promises either…"

"You not believing my word is low, albeit understandable, but to involve a lawyer in the mix, it's downright cruel."

"I didn't want to take any chances."

"So what, Fox, huh? I'm just supposed to take this lying down and roll with it? I don't think so!"

"Well, you'll have to Ethan. Because I won't back down from this and neither will my wife once she finds out."

"Theresa doesn't know?"

"Not yet but I'm pretty sure she'll give her approval. You fooled her so many times and I'm not about to let it happen again. Once the schedule is ready, just send it to our lawyer and he'll let us know." Cursing under his breath, Ethan didn't have any choice but to accept the latest development.

"Sure."

"Oh and before I go, hail this warning; you better respect your engagements concerning Jane – you know, the temporary thing – because if you don't, you've got a nasty surprise coming your way." With a plastered smile, Fox walked out.

* * *

Next on Time to move on:

Theresa's pregnancy is confirmed.

Alistair meets someone special.

Ethan grills Gwen.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	12. New beginnings

_**New beginnings**_

_Author's note: This chapter is set a month after 'Family values'. Also, I am SOOOOOOO sorry for not updating this in ages. I've had problems with finding my muse. Thankfully, I found her again. Thank you for your patience and I hope you'll enjoy this._

Sheridan walked into Harmony Hospital and scanned the waiting area for the one person she wanted to see. Spotting him, she made her way to where he was patiently seated, apparently absorbed in a sports magazine.

"Fox."

"Hey Aunt Sheridan. What are you doing here?"

"I received a rather urging text message from your wife earlier this morning and when I went to the Mansion, Julian told me you two had an appointment. So instead of waiting there, I decided to stop by on my way to the Seascape. Where's Theresa?"

"Still in there with Dr. Ortecho." he replied, pointing to a nearby cubicle. "They're probably running tests as we speak."

"Oh! What happened? Is she hurt?"

"No, no. It's just a general check-up, actually."

"Right. Why do you look like you're expecting something then?

"I am."

"Okay… I'm lost here. Can you give me any clues?"

"Well, it's something along the lines of hearing tiny pitty patters in a couple of months." Sheridan's eyes widened.

"She's pregnant?"

"That's what we're here to find out although I know deep down she is."

"Did she have any symptom to make you believe she might be?"

"Let's see…she's been moody, has slept more than usual and been sick, usually in the morning, for the last two weeks or so. That kind of symptoms?"

"I must admit it sounds pretty convincing. Has she taken any home pregnancy tests?"

"No. She doesn't trust those since the incident when she thought she'd miscarried Ethan and Gwen's baby. According to her, blood tests are more accurate and I have to agree. So, we scheduled an appointment, coincidentally mixing it with her next check-up."

"Wow! You, on top of everything that happened lately, are going to be a father. I can't believe it!"

"Neither did I and I still don't but once we get the results, which I am convinced will be positive, it'll really sink in." At that moment, Theresa and the doctor exited the cubicle.

"I just sent the sample to the lab with a rush on it. In about ten minutes max, we'll know for sure."

"Thank you, Caroline. I'll be waiting."

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another patient to see." Once she was gone, Fox got up and stretched.

"Anyone want something to drink?"

"I wouldn't say no to chocolate milk if it's not too much to ask."

"Anything for you, my Lady. Sheridan? Coffee?"

"No thanks. I've already had my fair share of it today. Besides, I won't stick aroufnd. Just wanted to know what the text message Theresa sent me was about."

"Okay. I'll be right back." Watching him stroll down the hall towards the distributor, Theresa shook her head gently, a smile playing on her lips. Anyone watching her could feel the happiness radiating from her body.

"He told me about the appointment."

"The pregnancy too, I suppose?"

"Yes. You believe it's happening too."

"I do. I've had this incredible serene feeling washing over me lately. It's as if God is telling me that everything in my life is falling into place…like it was meant to happen for a reason."

"I'm fairly sure it was. After everything you've been through, you so deserve happiness and good things to come your way. And this…" she said, placing a hand on Theresa's still flat tummy "…he or she…is a gift. A new beginning for your life with Fox. A sign things to come will only get better and your future brighter. And, every step of the way, I will be there for you, cheering you on."

"Thank you, Sheridan. You have no idea how much that means to me." Smiling, the blonde woman's expression turned serious.

"Now, about your text message…what is so urgent?"

"As you know, I've been negotiating with Kate Howard to have the Go Green clothing line from Crane Couture appear exclusively in Crimson. Well, we finally reached a deal last night. Kate signed the contract papers and faxed them right back to me. However, I was so tired that I left them on my desk, intending to send them to Alistair this morning but my mind was so wrapped up in today's appointment…I completely forgot about them."

"Theresa, it's no big deal. He'll just have to wait."

"See, that's the problem. I don't want him to. I promised he'd have them for eleven, which is half-an-hour away, and…"

"In other words, you want me to go to the offices and take them to him. Is that it?"

"Yes…please! You'd be my savior…"

"Don't worry, okay? He'll have them on his desk in time. As for you, relax and call me as soon as the results come in. I want to know if I can go shopping without Luis whining I'm carelessly throwing money out the window."

"Deal. Say hi to him from me."

"I will. Oh! And we picked up Little Ethan earlier. Luis said he was going to drive him to the Mansion."

"That's right! Another thing I had forgotten. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Take care." Sheridan hugged her and quickly hurried away, intending to do as she'd said. A few minutes went by then Fox came back with her milk. Handing it to her, he glanced around.

"Sher already left?"

"Yes. She was as eager as I am to see the Crimson contract into your grandfather's hands. Gosh, I can't believe it slipped my mind."

"It's understandable Resa. You were focused on something else as important…namely our unborn child. Speaking of, what about the results?"

"They aren't back yet."

"Actually, they are." interrupted Caroline, standing nearby with a file in her hands. "Why don't we take this to my office?"

"Sure." Theresa grabbed her purse and followed her husband to the cozy room. Once inside, she took place on the first of two chairs facing the antique oak desk and anxiously waited for the doctor to speak. Feeling her silent worries, Fox entwined his fingers with hers while asking himself why she'd doubt what they'd felt the night their baby had been conceived.

"Well, it looks like congratulations are in order. I don't know how you could possibly know but you are indeed pregnant. About a month along." A smile immediately crept up in Theresa's face.

"When can we have our first ultrasound or even the first sonogram?" Laughing lightly, Caroline wrote down something.

"I would suggest the first appointment to be in two weeks or so. A general check-up on your condition and a meeting with the dietician would not hurt either."

"The dietician?" Fox was taken aback.

"Yes, Mr. Crane. I feel like it would be in your wife's best interests to make sure she gets all the nutrients she and the baby needs. I know she has a history of accidental dehydration and we don't want to take any risks of that happening again, do we?"

"No, definitely not."

"Good. As for the prenatal vitamins, you can get them right away if you wish." She handed the prescription to Theresa. "Don't forget, if anything out of the ordinary happens, I want you to call me."

"I will, Caroline. Thank you."

"No problem. And congratulations again, Theresa." With that, the thrilled couple exited the office.

"So that's it. We're really having a baby." Taking her in his arms, Fox smiled at the idea, confidant in himself that he'd make a good father. Hell, he was one already.

"Yes, we do and I couldn't be happier. Our life together is really off to a good start." He stayed silent for a few seconds, his nose buried in her hair. "So, want to go grab a bite? I must admit I'm hungry."

"I am too. Seascape?"

"Terrific idea. You read my mind. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Back at the Mansion, Alistair was reviewing some documents for Crane Industries, in particular files pertaining to Crane Couture, when he heard a knock in the door.

"What is it Mary? I thought I'd been clear when I asked not to be disturbed."

"You haven't told me that." Snapping his head up, the patriarch promptly discarded the papers aside, a huge smile illuminating his face.

"Fancy, dear! What a great surprise! I wasn't expecting you for another full week or so." He got up and hugged her tightly.

"Alex had everything ready for his transfer so we decided to move sooner. I hope it's okay with you."

"Are you kidding me? It's MORE than okay. It'll even actually fasten our plan, if you catch my drift." A mysterious smile crept on Fancy's lips.

"Oh I do, Grampy. I guess everything up to today has gone according to plan?" A dark cloud appeared in Alistair's brown irises.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Theresa kind of unwillingly complicated things when she allowed temporary full custody of Jane to Ethan."

"She did WHAT? No!"

"Yes my dear. It surprised even me but do not worry. I trust that she knows what she is doing."

"Well, for a complication, it is a grand one."

"Indeed, although she did manage to turn the scale in her favor." Fancy raised one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows.

"How?"

"You see, by not only temporarily turning Jane over but also dropping all charges against Gwen, she went out of her way to seemingly stop the 'war'. Well, as expected, Ethan was impressed by her 'generosity' so Fox suggested that she be allowed every other weekend with Little Ethan as compensation."

"And he agreed. Well, I have to hand it out to her. Theresa does know how to skillfully play chess. She and Fox make one hell of a formidable team."

"Indeed, they do. Now, why don't we go downstairs so I can finally meet that mysterious husband of yours?"

* * *

Gwen was seated on the patio of her new house with Jane in her arms. For the past two hours, she'd been trying to soothe the little girl but nothing had worked so far.

"Hush, hush, Janie. Mommy is here."

At those words, the wailing started again.

"For God's sake, Gwennie. Shut up that brat!"

"I'm trying Mother but it proves to be harder than I thought. I don't know what's wrong with her. She used to be so calm before. When we were on the run, I would rock her like this and she'd fall asleep almost instantly."

"I'm going to tell you what's wrong with her. Tacosita. Everything she touches, she taints. This is concrete proof."

"As much as I may hate her, I can sincerely say Theresa is a good mother." Rebecca's eyes widened at that.

"What? Are you going _soft_ now? This _is_ the woman who came close to destroying your life that we are talking about!"

"I know. But she didn't, now did she?"

"No thanks to you. If I hadn't snooped around and found Ivy's letter about Ethan's true paternity on her computer, you wouldn't be here holding your husband's illegitimate child. Thank your lucky star that I am your mother, Gwennie. A very resourceful mother at that." Ignoring the last two sentences, Gwen was momentarily lost in one of her fantasies.

"_You know, that sight makes my heart melt every time I witness it." Taking her eyes off her beautiful newborn son's face, she glanced towards the bedroom's doorframe where her husband stood, hands in his pockets._

"_You've said that the other two times as well."_

"_Well, what can I say? I'm a romantic and seeing you so caring is touching. Our three wonderful children are very lucky to have you."_

"_Speaking of, where are Dawn and Rosalie?"_

"_They are spending time with Greenlee. This, my dear, means that I can enjoy some quality time with my sexy wife." As his lips made contact with hers, a feeling of serenity washed over her. This _was_ really life, a life she'd thought she could have had wi__th Ethan Crane. But by choosing Theresa, he'd done her a great favor. She owed her happiness to them both._

"No, you're right. Then again, maybe I would be married to a wonderful husband who would love only me and even have children of my own. There would have been no war with Theresa and I wouldn't have suffered as much as I have. But, you took the choice out of my hands and made it for me."

"We all make mistakes Gwen. But we, Osburn women, never look back and most definitely _never_ come to regret our choices." Caressing Jane's light blonde hair, Gwen bit her tongue. She did _not_ wish to have an argument with her mother. Especially not here and now.

"Hush, sweetie. Mommy is right here." As if she rejected that notion, Jane started to cry even louder.

"And here we go again! Gah! I can never enjoy some peace around here. If it's not this brat, it's her bastard half-brother."

"Mother, please! Would you stop calling them like _that_? These are _my_ children, after all."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but need I remind you who really gave birth to them?"

"Giving birth doesn't make you a mother. You told me that. However, Ethan and I are raising them. It's all the same."

"Yeah… But the question is; for how long?"

"Morning." said Ethan, coming out through the patio door with a warm coffee cup. Getting up and grabbing her large black hat, Rebecca flashed one of her fake smiles.

"Well, I'll let you two lovebirds enjoy this fantastic morning together."

"You don't have to leave on my account, Rebecca."

"Of course not, silly! I just have somewhere to be, that is all. Good day, Gwennie."

"Good day Mother." As he watched his mother-in-law walk away, Ethan took a sip of his coffee. Taking in the sight of his daughter, he noticed her tears-stained cheeks.

"What's going on with Jane?"

"I don't know. She's been crying all morning and nothing I do soothes her."

"I know. Her wails actually woke me up."

"I'm sorry, Honey. I know you haven't slept well in days. With everything that happened at the courthouse and the move, it's understandable."

"Hopefully, I'll be able to regain the sleep I missed now that we are fully moved in."

"Yeah." Gwen stayed silent a few seconds, trying once more to calm Jane down. "Sheridan and Luis came by to pick up Little Ethan this morning. I didn't know he had yet another weekend planned with them."

"Not this time. He'll be at the Mansion."

"WHAT?"

"I thought it would do him some good to see his mother. Besides, we owe Theresa." Once again, Gwen bit her tongue. While it was nice not having her arch-rival a constant presence in her marriage anymore, she still did resent her. Turning her attention to the still crying infant in her arms, she sighed.

"Janie, everything's fine. Let mommy kiss your tears away." Upon hearing his wife's words, Ethan froze.

"_Stop that_." Gwen whipped her head towards her husband, startled.

"Excuse me? Stop what?"

"Pretending that you're Jane's mother."

"Ethan, I…"

"I don't care! Do you _really_ think I'm so blind that I don't see what you're trying to do? Ever since Theresa so graciously turned custody over to us, you've spent all of your time with Jane, trying to make her call you 'mommy'."

"No, that's not it. You have it all wrong. I'm just trying to be a good mother."

"That's the thing, Gwen. You're _NOT_ a mother." She sucked in a breath, anger rising to the surface and pain crushing her heart.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I would have been one if it hadn't been of you, your inability to keep it into your pants and Theresa. Of have you suddenly forgotten about Sarah and Nathan again?"

"I think about them every day but that's not the matter at hand. You're confusing my daughter even more than she is by pretending to be her mother. I want it to stop. _Now_."

"She should be _ours_ Ethan. Yours and mine. If Theresa hadn't interfered with our surrogacy plans…"

"Well, she's not. What's done is done. Just stop trying to rewrite history and accept things as they are for once. It'll be easier for you in the long run." Taking the little girl from her arms, he went inside, leaving Gwen with her fantasies of what her life should have been.

* * *

Alistair and Fancy reached the bottom of the stairs just as Alex was entering with the last suitcases. Wiping the stress-induced moisture from his hands on the back of his jacket, he introduced himself.

"Alexander Peretti IV." Impressed by the confidence exuding from him, Alistair smiled.

"Welcome to the family Alexander. I was anxious to finally meet the man who made an honest woman out of my eldest granddaughter." Eyeing the younger man, he extended his hand. Alex, without even a second of hesitation, brought his own and the exchanged a good handshake.

"I was put on this world to love and cherish her, Mr. Crane. I am just doing my duty."

"Alistair, my boy. Mr. Crane is way too formal for in-laws." His brown eyes scanned the living room and spotted an auburn-haired teenage girl who sat on a sofa, engrossed in a fashion magazine. Alex followed his gaze.

"Bree. Come here, please." The young girl immediately stopped her reading, got up and approached with confidence. "Alistair, this is Bristol, my fifteen-year-old daughter."

"Pleased to meet you Bristol. You have a lovely name."

"Thank you."

"She's a little shy the first few times when she meets with new people. It'll fade soon. And…" Alex continued, motioning behind Alistair and waiting for him to turn around. "…this is my seven-year-old son, Alexander John. We usually call him AJ."

"Hello, AJ."

"Is it true that you're a very rich man? Even more so than the Bushes?" Fancy suppressed a chuckle and exchanged an amused glance with her husband. The elderly man, himself amused, kneeled at the boy's level and smiled.

"Yes. The Cranes are very rich, you'll see."

"Then you must have horses, right?"

"AJ, please. This is not appropriate."

"It's okay, Alexander. I like curiosity. It is a very strong trait in the family." Alistair reported his gaze on the sandy blond-haired boy. "Of course, but they are kept in a stable further down the grounds. If your father agrees, we might just get to ride some later in the afternoon."

"I see no reason to object."

"Really?" AJ added, stars shining in his eyes as he looked at his father.

"Of course, son. If Mr. Cra…Alistair says we can, we will."

"YAY!" Then a maid's voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Miss Francesca, Sarah just woke up. Should I bring her down?"

"Yes, please Phyllis." The Crane patriarch turned his gaze, now brimming with tears, towards his granddaughter. She simply nodded, a smile on her lips. "We thought it was time for her to make an appearance and meet with her birth family." Alistair swallowed hard, fully aware of the implications. Alexander put a hand on his shoulder.

"She was adamant that we do it now rather than later."

"She is right, Alex. It is the right time. Although I just wish I had covered all angles." Understanding the double meaning, Fancy gasped.

"Grandmother doesn't know?"

"I haven't told her yet. I must admit I expected you to actually leave her with Esme for the time being."

"I couldn't... Not anymore and…" They were interrupted by Phyllis clearing her throat. All five pairs of eyes turned to her and the little girl of which she held the hand. At the sight of his firstborn great-granddaughter, Alistair's heart melted. Shoulder-length light brown hair tucked behind her ears, honey-brown eyes, delicate features and a caramel skin…

"She is the perfect mix of her parents."

"Yes, she is. Both physically and especially in term of temper."

"I can't believe how beautiful she's grown." He extended a hand and caressed her face. "The last time I saw her, she'd just been born. I'd just entrusted her to Esme so she could take her to you. But… I remember the eyes. When I held her, she opened them and I could already see they would be just like her father's." Noting her niece's unsure expression, Fancy approached.

"Sarah, don't be afraid. This is your great-grandfather. Grand-papa Alistair, remember? I told you about him countless times." As if she recognized him, Sarah buried herself in his arms. The elder man, taken aback, could only wrap his arms around her. Tears began to flow freely on his cheeks as he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair…the same scent as her mother.

He and the others were so wrapped up in the moment that they didn't hear Katherine open the door, Ethan Martin behind her.

"…some cake then, if you want, you will play that new video game that Julian bought you. Is that…" she stopped mid-sentence, taking in the scene before her. Then, she recognized her granddaughter. "Fancy! What are you doing here?"

* * *

_Next on Time to move on:_

Katherine learns a shocking truth!

Gwen voices her insecurities pertaining to a destructive secret.

Old friends surprise Theresa.

* * *

Reviews seem to be my muse's source of presence these days so please, review. Laurie-Lee


	13. Flesh and blood

_**Flesh and blood**_

_Author's note: I do not own any soap opera or their characters. Everything is the sole property of their creators. Yadee yadda. Consider yourself warned._

_Also, I would like to clear a point. Sarah is now 4 years old in this, not a baby *wink to a faithful reviewer*. I have SORAS-ed both Ethan Martin (6) and her to suit the purposes of this story. Only Jane is the right age, 11 months old._

_**A little while later**__…_

"What a cozy little town! The scenery is breathtaking."

"Yes, it is just as I remember…the lighthouse, the salty breeze and of course, tons of perfectly maintained flowers and trees. Let's not wonder why it is called Harmony." Jason Morgan smiled at his wife. She had always been a nature lover. As had been Damien, despite his allergies.

"So I guess that if Dad ever wanted to move away from Port Charles, this is where you'd want us to settle?"

"Definitely, Spin. And the fact that one of my aunts lives here with her family wouldn't hurt either." Liz released a happy sight, thinking of all the familiar faces she'd see again in approximately fifteen minutes to half-an-hour. "I wonder how she is doing." Her husband chipped in.

"Who? Pilar?"

"Her too but I meant Theresa. I haven't seen my cousin ever since she visited me after I gave birth to Cameron."

"Well, Mom. According to the Harmony Herald, she's a fresh newlywed." She turned her head towards her adoptive son – how weird it was to call him her son when only nine years separated them – who sat in the back of the car.

"What?"

"She and Crane Heir Nicholas Foxworth Crane married in a private ceremony a little over a month ago." The former mob enforcer frowned.

"You seem surprised Liz."

"I am Jase. She never mentioned it in her last letter. I am so going to give her a run for her money for keeping it from me." Silent befell the group as they entered in the harbor town. Furiously typing away on his portable computer, Spinelli thought of the phone call he'd received the previous week. He'd been sniffing around the PCPD confidential files when the ringtone of his cellphone had startled him. Checking the caller ID, he hadn't recognized the number.

"_Hello?"_

"_Damien Spinelli-Morgan?"_

"_Yes, this is I."_

"_My name is Alistair Crane. You are a private investigator doubled with a computer genius, right?"_

"_Yes, but may I ask how you found this number?"_

"_That is of no importance as of right now. I have an assignment for you which would pay very well should you accept it."_

"_First, I need a down payment to be wired into my bank account before I promise anything."_

"_That won't be a problem. Just give me the number and it'll be processed in the next minute." Hesitantly, he gave the number. Soon enough, a generous sum had been transferred._

"_I'm listening, Mr. Crane. What is it?"_

The man had been very thorough in his explanation, specifically insisting that this be done in complete secrecy. He'd spent five days searching the net before finding what his client had asked. Eyeing the disk which lied next to him on the backseat, a smile crept on his lips. The destructive info kept on it would prove extremely helpful for Theresa. Jason's voice got him out of his thoughts.

"Now, where to Spin?" He quickly checked his computer screen.

"From this intersection, you continue three lights then turn left. That should be Star Crescent Avenue. Raven Hill Road crosses it further down south." Feeling her cellphone vibrate, Elizabeth flipped it open.

"Hello? Luis! Long time no talk! … Yes, that was me. Why? … Yes, we were heading there. … Oh! … What? _Behind us_?" She threw a look in the passenger's sideway mirror. "I see you. Yeah, I'll tell him … Ok." Hanging up, she laughed a bit. Jason swiftly glanced at her.

"What's going on?"

"That was my cousin, Theresa's older brother. He wants us to stop at the next gas station."

"Why?"

"Apparently, she isn't at the Crane Mansion. He's probably going to tell us where she is and how to get there." Following his wife's directions, he stopped at Kenzo Gas. A minute later, Luis was also pulling right beside them. Exiting the car, Elizabeth was engulfed in a tight bear hug.

"Lizzie, you don't know how nice it is to see you!"

"Likewise, Luis."

"Still petite… That hasn't changed."

"It's not my fault you're as tall as a giraffe." Smiling stretched from ear to ear, the Irish-Latino man turned his attention towards the two other men. Jason stepped closer and extended his hand.

"Jason Morgan, Elizabeth's husband."

"Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you." Laying eyes on Spinelli, Luis hesitated.

"That can't possibly be Cameron, can it?"

"No, silly! That's Damien, our adoptive son, but we usually call him by his biological surname, Spinelli." explained Liz, clearly proud. "Cameron came down with a cold before we left Port Charles so Jase's parents kindly offered to babysit him while we'd be gone." At that, Jason stiffed a bit. He still wasn't at ease with leaving his youngest son at the Quartermaine Mansion, especially near Edward.

"I was scared for a minute there. I mean, it hasn't been a decade since you last spent your summer vacations in good old Harmony, has it?"

"Not even half as long." Amused, Spinelli looked around.

"You live in a very nice-looking and nature-loving town."

"Appearances are not everything, Spinelli. Don't get fooled, you'd be deceived." He grabbed his walkie-talkie. "HPD, this is Officer Lopez-Fitzgerald." He waited a few seconds for a response.

"Yes, Luis."

"I'm at the Kenzo Gas station. Gonna take my half-hour break if everything's good."

"You can. Officers Beaumont and Bennett also are on duty."

"Well received. 10-4." Throwing the communication device in his cruiser, he turned his attention back to his cousin and her family. "So, what brings you to Harmony?"

"Took some time off from the hospital and decided to visit the family. Moreover, Spin has a client here to whom he must turn in an assignment."

"Assignment?"

"Yes. I'm a PI."

"Private investigator..at _your age_. Impressive."

"Thanks."

"Who's your employer?"

"That is confidential."

"Come on, I'm your adoptive cousin once removed. You can tell me." Eyeing Theresa's brother, Spinelli judged whether or not he could be trusted. Finally, he relented.

"Alistair Crane." Luis' eyes widened.

"The old man employed you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, aren't you full of surprises. I like that!" Elizabeth exchanged a look with her husband and smiled wider.

"Okay. You said Theresa isn't at the Crane Mansion so where is she?"

"My my, eager to see my baby sister, aren't you?" She smacked him playfully in the stomach. "Ow! Alright, I'll tell. They're at the Seascape. It's a fancy restaurant on the other side of town, not too far from the wharf. I can lead you to it if you want to."

"Sure. Spin, get back in the car with Jase. I'll ride with cousin dear."

* * *

A nervous-looking Gwen entered the Harmony Holiday Inn, immediately straightening her velvet jacket.

"Welcome to the Harmony Holiday Inn. I am Sookie, ready to assist you. Do you wish to get a room?"

"No, thank you. My aunt and I already have a reservation."

"Name, please."

"Andrea. Andrea Evans." Looking over the reservation sheet, Sookie nodded and gave her a key.

"Last room on this level. To the left. Enjoy your stay."

Unwilling to be recognized amongst the 'low working class', Gwen hastily walked down the hall and entered room 23 where Rebecca, sporting a black wig, was waiting for her.

"Finally! What took you so long? I thought you'd never come." Rolling her eyes, the blonde dropped her purse on a nearby chair.

"I had to wait for Ethan to leave with Jane. He thinks she might be coming down with something so he scheduled an appointment with Dr. Russell to find out. Else, he would have been suspicious, especially since I told him that I had nothing planned for the day."

"Hmpfff… I don't understand how you can possibly think you owe him any kind of explanation when you have to go somewhere. He's not your father and even less your boss."

"Maybe not Mother but that's what a _good wife _does. She and her husband tell each other when something unexpected come up. Apparently, that's something you would have known had you ever acted like one." Rebecca ignored the insult.

"Jonathan was _weak_, Gwen. I handled everything, down to what boxers he should wear."

"Well, I'm not like you."

"That is crystal clear."

"And a small miracle I thank God every day for." Eyeing her daughter, the strawberry-blonde frowned.

"What is it with you today?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired and extremely uncomfortable. I've had one hell of a morning so let's just cut to the chase. I've asked you to meet me here because I need to know something very important. My future depends on it."

"What is it?"

"When I went to the grocery store earlier, I saw Theresa exiting the Daily Private Lives' office tower with an envelope in her hands."

"So?"

"So? That's _all_ you have to say? Need I remind you Mother that we sent the letter which exposed my husband's true paternity to that _same tabloid_?"

"I remember it oh so perfectly, Gwennie. That was _my_ idea."

"Well? Aren't you worried, even a little bit?"

"Why would I be?"

"What if she found out it was us?"

"There is no way Terrorsita could have possibly gotten her greedy little hands on any proof."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Completely. There is _no more_ proof of our involvement. JT deleted the email ages ago and along with it, destroyed the surveillance video footage of the night you met him to incriminate the little chalupa." Rebecca walked to the mini-bar and opened a bottle of champagne. Pouring herself a flute, she took a few sips. "Gwennie, you need to relax and forget about the tabloid issue. Everything was foolproof." Grabbing her purse again, the blonde started to walk towards the door.

"Nothing is foolproof Mother. There's _always _a flaw, as small as it may be."

"Not this time. Besides, don't you think you would have heard from her already if she'd found anything? Stop worrying yourself with such _petty matters_."

"Spoken by someone who has nothing to lose now that she has wormed her way into the married Governor Norrington's bed and is living off the alimony her ex-husband is spitting out each month so you stay away from him." With that, Gwen was gone.

* * *

Katherine sat on the terrace, enjoying cupcakes and trying to wrap her mind around everything that she'd been told in the last hour or so. Francesca was moving back to Harmony with her husband of the last three years – a very charming and polite officer of the law – along with their daughter and Alex's two children born from a previous marriage. She'd been away for so long that it was really hard for the elderly woman to truly believe this small miracle.

Indeed, as soon as Fancy has been old enough to attend boarding school, Ivy and Julian had sent her away. It didn't matter that she was only twelve years old at the time nor that she was far from ready to be left alone in another country…another continent entirely. It was the way of the Cranes, some kind of tradition within the family. Ethan, Paige (AKA Pretty) and even Fox had all been shipped off as well. But out of them all, Fancy has been the most shy and reserved, keeping her thoughts very well concealed…a secret garden. And it is in that secret garden that she'd mustered enough strength to survive on her own abroad and develop a fierce loyalty to those whom she cared for. If pushed too far, she could prove to be as deadly as a royal cobra, willing to destroy everything and everyone in her path. But be on her good side and you could expect unwavering support and unconditional love. All of that, Katherine had seen when her son's eldest daughter had briefly come home the summer in between her graduation from boarding school and her first year of university. During that short amount of time, she'd been her sunshine, taking her mind off a Crane wife's duties.

But, as usual as it had been with her grandchildren, save Ethan of course, Fancy had all but deserted the Mansion and Harmony once her freshman year had begun. Not that it was a surprise… Julian and Ivy had constantly been at each other's throats back then and the tension it caused in the house had been too overwhelming for their offspring to bear. But now…now Francesca was back. Just as Alistair and Theresa were about to unravel the town with their revenge plan, unleashing hell on all those who had hurt the newest Crane wife and got away with it scot free… Logically, Katherine would have considered it a mere coincidence but her heart told her otherwise. Something was off with the too neat timing of her return.

Forcing that thought in the back of her mind, she observed her husband. He was still holding on to Sarah, showering her with love and attention. Another thing that was off as well. In all the years that she'd been with him, Katherine had never once seen Alistair so loving and caring. Yet, there he sat, completely enamored with Fancy's daughter, unaware of anything around him save that little girl.

"You look million miles away, Grandmother. Something on your mind?" Her granddaughter's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"No. I just can't help but wonder if I'm dreaming all this. You being here is a wish come true."

"Not to worry, I assure you. My moving back with Alex and the kids is definitely happening. Besides, I don't think Grampy would survive just another visit."

"Indeed, anyone can tell he is very happy to have you home. As I am. It's been far too long."

"Five years, I know. But you surely understand why I didn't bother even visit since then. Mother and Father's animosity towards one another was part of the reason. And then, Ethan's status as Mother's favorite never did sit well with me either. And what's more, I really did had to focus all my energies into my studies. Especially for the four first semesters."

"I do. Nursing school is very demanding. It was worth it thought, wasn't it?"

"Very. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to be able to help people, to make a difference."

"That's what nurses do."

"Yeah." Fancy smiled and glanced at her grandfather who was still completely and utterly engrossed in a story Sarah was telling.

"You and Alexander have a very beautiful daughter." At his wife's side, Alex stiffened, clearly uncomfortable. "Alistair is clearly proud and enamored with our first great-granddaughter."

"Oh, she's your great-granddaughter alright. Just not by us." Katherine sucked in a breath, surprise written all over her face.

"Wh..what?"

"We're her guardians, not her parents."

"What do you mean? It does not make sense! How can she possibly be my great-grandchild if she is not yours?"

"Look at her, Grandmother. _Really_ look at her and tell me who she reminds you of." Refocusing her gaze on Sarah, the elderly woman observed her for a short while and was hit by the striking resemblances between she and another grandchild of hers…

"Her cheeks, her nose…and her eyes… God, those eyes are… She is Nicholas's, isn't she?"

"Yes, Katherine. Sarah is the child of our first and only grandson." Alistair said, sitting down next to his wife.

"But…how?"

"If Alexander wouldn't mind going with Bristol, Sarah and Little Ethan and AJ down to the stable with Barthelemy…" He exchanged a knowing look with Fancy's husband. "I would much prefer if none of the children were there for this."

"Sure." Once Alex and the kids were gone, the Crane patriarch withdrew a cigar from his jacket's breast pocket and lit it.

"Do you want to tell her, Grampy or should I?"

"I can start and then you can take over when you became involved." Nodding to her grandfather, Fancy took a bite of chocolate-flavored cupcake. "It all started in 2003, a little bit after Gwen pushed Theresa down her and Ethan's bedroom window. Dr. Caroline Ortecho, a reputed OB-GYN – now an excellent and reputed pregnancy specialist – at Harmony Hospital, called me in the middle of the night with information she was sure I would like to know. She'd just found out the child Gwen carried at the time was not Ethan's and that it mysteriously shared my rare blood type which, at least to me, was impossible. I ordered researches to be conducted all across the country's databases with the DNA sample she'd taken during the amniocentesis. Only one result matched. A Crane…"

"Nicholas..."

"Yes. In the meantime, Ethan and Gwen had flown out to Los Angeles, seeking a pregnancy specialist there. Dr. John Abel. Determined not to allow Rebecca's daughter to raise a Crane, I contacted him. He agreed to help me out. For three weeks, he sent me weekly reports on the pregnancy's progress. That's about when Caroline noticed abnormalities in Gwen's file. First, the last ultrasound she performed indicated that she was in her twenty-sixth gestational week."

"That's twenty-four weeks from LMP… meaning last menstrual period." explained Fancy, getting into 'medical' mode.

"Yes. But yet, according to Dr. Ortecho, the fetus couldn't have been more than _twenty-three_ weeks old…twenty-one from LMP. If you do the math, three weeks were missing."

"Which is enormous when you think about it and how much of a difference it could make at birth."

"Second, she had found out the baby's DNA did not match Gwen's." Taking in his wife's horrified expression, he chuckled. "Indeed. Not the mother. How shocking! Puzzled by all that, I wanted John to perform another amniocentesis but when he told me how risky it was now that Gwen has worked herself into a precarious situation, I went the PI road. Hiring two of them, I ordered another round of research in the country's medical database. Once again, there was a perfect match. Even more shockingly, with a Harmony resident."

"Sarah's mother lived _here_?"

"She still does. And you know her, Dear. You see, it is none other than Fox's wife. Theresa."

"Oh God! When Fancy told me to really look at her earlier, I only saw her resemblance to Nicholas. But now that I think of it… She has so much of Theresa physically as well." She closed her eyes, letting everything dawn on her. "I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. But… There is something that I don't understand. How did Gwen manage to be pregnant with _their _baby?"

"Very simple, Dear. In 2001, shortly before the exposure of Ethan's paternity, he and Theresa had talked about having children. However, due a motorcycle accident she'd had the previous year, they consulted with Caroline's colleague, Dr. Ronald Culvert. Tests had proven that there could be complications with conceiving so they agreed to freeze some of her eggs in a private New York clinic. With the double wedding fiasco and everything that spanned from it afterwards, I somehow don't think neither Ethan nor Theresa ever thought about those again." Fancy sneered.

"Basically, we can correctly guess the bitch probably passed herself as Theresa and stole the eggs."

"That would be a very likely assumption, Francesca." Katherine said. To say she was disgusted was the understatement of the year.

"And, if Fox being Sarah's father is any indication, that isn't the only thing she stole. I know for a fact that my little brother would have _never_ ever slept with Gwen. He's never liked her." Alistair nodded in agreement.

"I don't see how she could have gotten her hands on Nicholas's..."

"I believe I know, Grandmother. She must have gone to a sperm bank." Taking in her shocked expression once more, Alistair grew amused.

"What?"

"In this day and age, a lot of couples experience fertility deficiencies. Sperm banks are there to help either men who have a sperm count too low for successful conception and their partner start a family or even supply single women who want to be mothers. As much as you may find it difficult to imagine my brother donating his genes so willingly, this is the only logical reason why he did so."

"You call that logical?"

"Well, not technically. Especially to your generation, no insult intended."

"I assume he went to Oakdale for his 'donation'." the Crane patriarch said, accentuating the work 'donation' with live quotation marks.

"Yes, Grampy. It was done at Memorial Hospital where I was a student nurse."

"When?"

"December 2002. Right before he came back to Harmony."

"What is the viability of a 'donation'?" At that, Katherine sighed. Not that is disgusted her per se but the subject had never been her favorite in a conversation.

"Usually, when not cryogenically frozen, semen remains at full effectiveness for seventy-two hours, just like in the fallopian tubes. If frozen, it goes up to a full two months in a bank. After that, it is discarded."

"Which method did Fox opted for?"

"If my memory is right, the first one. And it was to go to Alex's sister, Katie."

"Yet, it didn't."

"No. Gwen somehow got to it first. And we all know what she did with it. That's how Sarah came to be." Katherine nodded her head in understanding.

"All that is clear but it doesn't explain why she is in yours and Alex's care."

"That would be my doing, Katherine. Knowing she was Fox and Theresa's child, I couldn't _possibly_ allow Gwen to keep her, could I? So I traveled to Los Angeles, biding my time until she would go into labor and give birth. I had men watch her every moves, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. During that time, I contacted Fancy and explained the rather unconventional situation."

"I was in shock myself when he told me, Grandmother. Completely aghast at Gwen's actions. I mean, when you see the big picture in its entirety, she lied her way to the altar, tying Ethan to her forever with a child she wasn't even pregnant with in the first place. Then, to keep up her grand scheme, she purposely got implanted with Fox and Theresa's embryo, all the while covering her tracks. No one could have foreseen the desperate measures she would resolve to so she could trap my half-brother and keep him away from the woman he truly loved. And knowing about Sarah's true parentage, I couldn't help but accept getting the baby into my care. Alex agreed as soon as I told him. We couldn't fathom the idea of _her_ raising my niece, especially me."

"Knowing they were on board reaffirmed the necessity of my plan. I arranged with Dr. Abel to have the baby immediately brought to me after birth and replaced with a very human-like wax figure. John had already prepared a death certificate stating the child had died due to a lung defect. But, as you very well know, Gwen got into a heated fight with Theresa and ended up rushed to the hospital in full labor. Unexpectedly, this turn of events was exactly what we needed to fake a death."

"We were very fortunate that Gwen kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Of course, John asking Ethan between saving either his wife or the child added to the whole masquerade. Because of that, neither Big E or his treacherous wife ever doubted Sarah, the name Grampy gave her and the one they coincidally chose also, had been stillborn."

"I thought the death certificate stated that she'd died…" Katherine said, a little confused.

"John changed it. Considering the circumstances, it was more appropriate."

"I see." Fancy continued.

"I stayed with Sarah while the doctors cleaned and checked her out. I also noticed them that I thought she was a tiny bit small. It worried me. Taking into consideration the three missing weeks Dr. Ortecho had spoken to Grandfather about, it became clear she had not been overdue like Gwen had wanted everyone to believe but a tad premature. And when she was given a clean bill of health, Alex and I took her back home to Oakdale."

"All of that is fine, Alistair. Yet, I have to wonder why you didn't inform Fox or Theresa they had a daughter then."

"Why with everything that unraveled after Sarah's 'stillbirth', I thought better of doing so. For our great-granddaughter's sake. Neither one of them were ready to welcome her home, especially after Rebecca manipulated Julian into taking Ethan Martin from his mother and spewing his paternal rights over to her daughter's husband so they could adopt him, punishing Theresa for ostensibly causing the stillbirth. From there, things just got uglier. No. She was better off with Fancy and Alexander."

"While your intentions were honorable, Dear, I can't help but think you could have come forward with the truth and stopped the horrid mess Gwen's war of revenge created for nearly two years before her parents got back together."

"Katherine, would you have preferred that Sarah come back to a stable and happy home or a broken one with war on one side and deception on the other?" Fancy resisted smiling at how flawlessly her grandfather had silenced her grandmother using her maternal instinct against her. "That's what I thought. It was never the right time. Still isn't."

"What? You won't tell them now that she's right under their noses?"

"Eventually but not yet. Theresa still has scores to settle with the Hotchkiss women. I would hate for Sarah to get in any unwanted danger before the bitches have been dealt with properly. But don't you worry, Beloved. If everything goes according to our new granddaughter-in-law's plan, they will know soon enough."

* * *

Fox and Theresa has just exited the Seascape when the latter heard her name being called.

"Theresa Andeana Lopez-Fitzgerald!" Looking to her left, she spotted a red-cheeked brunette stomping her way. Surprise etched on her face as she recognized the woman.

"Elizabeth? What, in the name of everything that is Holy, are you doing in Harmony?

* * *

_Next on Time to move on:_

Jane's diagnosis is established.

It's an eventful afternoon at the Crane Mansion.

* * *

Review greatly appreciated please. -Laurie-Lee


	14. Opportunities

_**Opportunities**_

_Author's note: The muse is going strong… I cross my fingers that she stays. Also, I had to separate this chapter in two because it would have been way too long._

"Elizabeth? What, in the name of everything that is Holy, are you doing in Harmony?" Fox looked from his wife to the red-cheeked woman. Instinctively, he stepped in between the two.

"Look, damn paparazzi, neither my wife nor I have anything to say to you so back off!" At that, Theresa started to giggle. Her cousin stood there, mouth hanging open at the audacity of her husband, completely shocked.

"Fox…" she tried but he wouldn't listen.

"No, Resa. I've had enough! They've been chasing us for weeks. It's high time they respect our privacy." Not one to be spoken to in such an arrogant manner, Elizabeth felt her temper flare.

"Hey, Mr. Jackass. I believe I was talking to the lady, not you." Deliberately, she shoved him aside hard enough so he didn't block her way to Theresa anymore. Pointing an accusing finger at her, she continued. "You, you have some serious explaining to do." Recovering from being pushed aside, Fox angrily snapped.

"I told you to back the hell off!"

"So what?" Elizabeth snapped back, annoyed. She just wanted to give her cousin a hard time, not receiving one from her apparently overprotective husband. "Just because you say so doesn't mean I will."

"Do you know who I am? Nicholas Foxworth Crane, from the Harmony Cranes, one of the most richest and powerful family in the world. Go away or I will have you arrested."

"You don't scare me." Theresa watched the fiery confrontation with amusement. Noting her expression, Elizabeth turned her angry blue eyes at her once more. "You have some nerve, Mrs. _Crane_."

"Not as much as you do, Lizzie. Standing up to Fox like that, I'd say you're the one who has some."

"Oh please! That just proves my theory that you can choose wiser than before." Cracking a smile, Liz pulled her cousin towards her and hugged her profusely. "I've missed you."

"Same here." At that point, the Crane Heir was confused.

"You know her, Resa?"

"Of course, silly! Elizabeth is my maternal cousin, via my aunt Cristina."

"Oh! I…hum…I'm sorry for my outburst."

"Please, don't. That actually makes you a very respectable man in my book. I don't remember the last time someone made my temper flare like that."

"That was Dad, six months ago when he bought the house without consulting with you first." Spinelli said, catching his breath. He, along with his father, had run after Elizabeth after she'd quickly exited the car. At their sight, Theresa's smile grew wider.

"I see you've brought the family, Liz. Hello Jason. Damien, I swear you get taller every time I see you." Looking around, she frowned. "Where is Cam?"

"With Jason's parents back in Port Charles. For some reason, I didn't think the chilly breezes of Harmony would do him some good, especially with his cold."

"Got a point. Although November is usually still warm enough for simple jackets, I'm pretty sure there will be snow soon." Looking at the sky, both women momentarily seemed lost in their thoughts. "So, you still haven't answered my question."

"Visiting the family, enjoying well earned vacations and planning on giving you one hell of a hard time for not telling me you got married. I assume my invitation got lost in the mail."

"No invitations were sent. It was a small and intimate affair, put together quite fast." Looking at Fox, Elizabeth couldn't decide if he was telling the truth or just playing with her. She crossed her arms on her chest.

"Well, next time something of importance happens in your life cousin dear, don't forget about me. Okay?"

"I won't I promise. How about I start right away?"

"Huh?"

"You, my dear Liz, are going to be an auntie in about eight months." The brunette's delicate jaw dropped.

"WHAT? You're pregnant? Oh my God! Congratulations!" A smile stretched from ear to ear, Theresa felt herself being hugged once more.

"Thank you."

"Since when do you know?"

"We got confirmation a little over an hour ago. We're overjoyed."

"Understandable." Fox looked at his watch.

"Well, not that I want to cut this little lovefest short but I'd feel much better if we all moved it to the Mansion. As I said earlier, the paparazzi have been a pain lately and are everywhere." Elizabeth nodded approvingly.

"Sure. We'll get the car and follow you."

* * *

Ethan stood in a cubicle, doing circles with his right hand on his daughter's belly. She laid in one of those hospital cribs, playing with plastic keys. Sporadically, she would cry but only briefly, as if she felt momentarily pain.

Sighing, the attorney caressed her blonde locks with his other hand, feeling her warm forehead at the same time. He hated to see her like this, so helpless.

"Mr. Winthrop." He raised his head and saw a nurse in the curtain's opening.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Gordon has gone out for lunch. Do you mind another doctor overseeing your daughter's case?"

"No. It'll be fine."

"Very well. Dr. Benioff will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Turning back to Jane, he continued to massage her belly softly. This was a soothing trick that Theresa had taught him.

_It was late at night, probably __around eleven-thirty. He'd been pacing the living room with his restless daughter in tow, trying to get her to finally fall asleep. Yet, nothing he'd done had worked._

_In desperation, he__'d reached inside his pocket and got a piece of paper out. Eyeing the number scribbled on it, he'd sat down on the nearby couch, grabbed the phone and dialed. Someone had picked up after two rings._

"_Angelas Hotel, Veronica Clouser speaking. How may I help you?"_

"_Hello, my name is Ethan Winthrop. I need to reach room 417."_

"_That's impossible, Mr. Winthrop. Do you have any idea of what time it is here?"_

"_I am well aware it's very early in the morning but this is urgent. I need to talk to Theresa Crane."_

"_I am deeply sorry. I can't let the call go through. However, if you wish to leave a message, it'll be delivered to Mrs. Crane as soon as either she or her husband call for breakfast."_

"_You don't understand…" he'd stressed out. "This is VERY important. I must speak to __her at once!"_

"_Mr. Winthrop, respect of the privacy and sleep of our clients is the golden rule of this hotel. Therefore, I can't possibly do what you're asking me. Do you wish to leave a message?" Absolute anger seeping from his body, he'd slammed the phone down, cursing whomever had come up with such a stupid idea. Unfortunately, Jane had felt his intense emotions and started to cry. Chastising himself, he'd taken deep breaths as to calm them both. Then, his eyes had fell upon the tiny silver ankle chain adorning his daughter's right foot…a gift from his mother Ivy._

_Inspired, he__'d taken the phone again and dialed._

"_Crane Mansion."_

"_Roger!" he'd exclaimed, recognizing the deep voice of the butler. "It's Ethan. Listen, I need to speak with my mother right away."_

"_But Sir, she is surely sleeping."_

"_I know but this is urgent." The line had gone dead for a few seconds. He knew the other man had been hesitating. "Please. It is of the utmost importance."_

"_Alright. I just hope Mr. Julian will not have my job for this."_

"_I'll make sure he doesn't. Thank you." Soon enough, his mother's sleepy voice had come on the phone after three rings._

"_Hello?"_

"_Mother, I'm sorry to wake you up so late but I need your help."_

"_Ethan? What is going on? Are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine. I just need you to tell me if you happen to have either Fox or Theresa's cellphone number."_

"_Ethan…" Her tone had hardened and he could hear her disappointment. "…tell me you haven't woken me up just for _that_."_

"_It's not what you think. I'm having a hard time getting Jane to sleep – she's been very fussy these past few days – so I thought that Theresa could help me. If I can get in contact with her, that is. Please, I'm at the end of my rope here." Aware of the desperation in his own tone, he'd heard her sigh._

"_Fine. But I'm only doing this for my granddaughter." __She'd given him Fox's number and hung up. Thanking his lucky star, he'd immediately phoned his half-brother, who had been rather aggravated to hear his voice. Still, he'd given the phone to Theresa and she'd taught him Jane's favorite soothing method._

Hearing someone clear their throat brought him back to the present. Raising his head once more, he saw a red-haired woman, probably in her mid-thirties, entering in the cubicle and closing the curtain behind her.

"Mr. Winthrop. I am Dr. Claire Benioff." she said, putting the clipboard she'd been holding on the desk. Sitting down on the movable chair, she grabbed the patient's file. "Let's see. Jane Winthrop…eleven months old…bouts of fever of 39 degrees Celsius…lack of sleep at night…tantrums which looks like colic…diminished reaction to noise... Is there anything else you've noticed?"

"Yes. She immediately cries whenever we touch the area near her left ear." Scribbling down that last info, Claire rolled her chair over to the crib.

"Can you please maintain her in a sitting posture?" Ethan nodded, lowering the safety bar and picking her up. Sitting down on the nearby chair, he positioned her on his knees. The doctor grabbed a penlight and examined the outside of the infant's ear. "Hmmmm…there definitely is exudative inflammation." She touched the tympanic membrane (the end of the outer ear) softly, which caused Jane to whimper in pain and resume her crying. Looking sadly at her, Claire wiped a few tears away. "Mr. Winthrop, you will need to hold her still while I examine the eustachian tube in her inner ear."

"Why?"

"While I can unmistakably confirm your daughter suffers from an otitis, I do need to verify whether it is what we call Otitis externa – an infection affecting only her outer ear or more commonly swimmer's otitis – or worse."

"Oh. Okay."

"You see, this monocular otoscope…" she said, holding a cone-shaped instrument. "…works like a microscope. I will insert the small side into her eustachian tube and twist its handle so light will illuminate the inside of her ear. From there, I will be able to see whether or not it is infected as well. So that I can see everywhere, I will need to stretch the membrane, which will in turn stretch the tube a bit. That will, unfortunately, very probably cause her discomfort and pain." Holding Jane still, Ethan's heart sank when the doctor inserted the otoscope and her cries intensified.

"Hush, sweetie. It'll be over soon." A minute or two later, Dr. Benioff rolled back to the desk and wrote something down.

"It is as I expected. It is Otitis media, an infection of the middle ear. However, in your daughter's case, it is an acute form. Has she had any respiratory infection lately, be it just a cold or something like that?"

"Yes, she did have a cold not too long ago."

"I see. Acute otitis media is most often purely viral and self-limited, as is its usually accompanying viral upper respiratory infection - URI –, in this case, a cold. Along with it comes a congestion of the ears and sometimes mild discomfort and popping, but the symptoms resolve with the underlying URI. If the middle ear, which is normally sterile, becomes contaminated with bacteria, pus and pressure in it can result, and this is what happened to her."

"So, her reduced hearing…"

"…is caused by the pus and inflammation, yes. I assure you, the severity of the infection will not affect your daughter's normal audition. However, I have noticed that her tympanic membrane is abundantly infected, which can lead to a rupture. While it could be good regarding the pressure and fever, I would like to avoid that. To that effort, I will prescribe a treatment which will prevent the eardrum's perforation and hasten the recovery." The doctor took her medical notepad, quickly writing down the prescription, and handed it to him. "Has Jane received her latest anti-H influenza vaccine, Mr. Winthrop?"

"I don't know." Surprise etching on her face, Claire eyed him.

"You don't _know_?"

"No. Jane has been living with me for only a month. Her mother could tell you though."

"And where is your wife?"

"My wife is not the mother. My ex-fiancée is." Embarrassed, Ethan lowered his gaze. "Can't you call the medical archives to check it out?" Without a reply, Claire reached for the phone and pressed three numbers.

"Archives? This is Dr. Benioff. I need information pertaining to Jane Gabrielle Winthrop…I'll hold." While waiting, the doctor overlooked the infant's file. In spite of a few colds, she'd never been sick per se, apart from being premature at birth. "Yes…Can you check if she has received all of her anti-H influenza vaccines up to today? Oh, she's missing her last one… When was it scheduled? Hmmmhmmm…Okay. Thank you." Hanging up, she pressed another button. "Suzan, this is Dr. Benioff. I need you to send nurse Alves down to cubicle 5 and prepare an anti-H influenza shot for an eleven month-old infant. She'll be up with you shortly. Oh, and proceed to a PCR immediately. Thank you."

"What is a PCR?" Ethan asked, curious.

"Polymerase Chain Reaction. It's a blood test, Mr. Winthrop."

"A blood test! What for?" Closing her eyes, Claire composed herself. Lying wasn't in her nature but in this case, it was required. And she hoped the man was gullible enough to believe her answer plain and simple.

"Sometimes, the same bacteria, which affected your daughter's ear and created her infection, can invade the bloodstream. It is rare but should it happen, it could potentially be very dangerous for her health, seeing as it would reduce her immune system, therefore exposing her to more serious illnesses. The only way to ensure it hasn't is to check her bloodstream via such a test. Florencia, here…" she said, pointing to the newly arrived nurse. "…will bring Jane to the laboratory. In the meantime, there are a few things I need to cover with you." Once Mrs. Alvez was gone with the baby girl, the doctor leaned back on her chair. "First thing, does your daughter have any allergies to specific medication?"

"Not that I am aware of."

"Alright. Now, unto her treatment. I have prescribed children's acetaminophen in minimal dosage to lower her fever and help with the pain. I've also added antipyrine and benzocaine ear drops, in case the oral agent might not be completely effective. Tomorrow, you can start administrating her antibiotic, liquid amoxicillin, for a period of five to ten days, depending on how effective it'll prove to be. Should the infection persists, I want you to call me and we'll proceed with a second line treatment."

"Sure."

"Good. I would also recommend, although I may be way out of line here, maternal attention. During times like these, the mother-child bond is strong enough to help recovery. Now, from what I understood, you have a custody arrangement worked out. Yet, as far as I am concerned, I firmly believe it would be in your daughter's best interest that she lives with her mother until she has properly healed."

"I see your point. I'll take that into consideration. Thank you Dr. Benioff."

"You're welcome Mr. Winthrop. If you would please go back to the waiting area, nurse Alves should bring Jane down in a couple of minutes."

* * *

Fox gallantly opened the passenger's door and took his wife's hand, steadying her once she was out. Throwing the keys to a newly arrived Barthelemy, the garage and stable keeper, he kissed the top of Theresa's head.

"I hope they haven't lost track of us."

"It could have very well happened. You're such a fast driver…"

"Oh, come on. The Mansion sieges on a hill and stands out so much that it's impossible to miss."

"True. Then again, Raven Hill Road is not indicated so well. They could have gone too far on Star Crescent Avenue for all we know."

"Would you stop worrying for nothing, Resa? I'm sure they will…" On cue, the Morgans's black Ford Focus pulled into the Mansion's driveway. "See, I told you." Rolling her eyes, Theresa waited until the car was parked before moving. Walking over to her cousin, an amused smile graced her lips as she noted the expression on Spinelli's face. The latter stood there, mouth hanging open at the sight of the Crane home.

"So, Damien…how do you find it?"

"WOW! I always thought the Quartermaine Mansion was big but this place is HUGE!" Fox laughed at the teenager's amazement.

"Wait until you see the estate in its entirety. You've only seen the façade so far. There is the ten-car garage, the tennis courts, the indoor-outdoor pool, the rose garden with its small while chapel, the cottage, the whirlpool, the terrace, the sauna, the stables, the numerous riding trails… Oh, and let's not forget about our own little private forest and its beautiful glade." At that, a speechless Spinelli almost dropped his laptop's transportation bag. Refraining himself from roaring in laughter as well, Jason grabbed his wife's purse on the backseat and the disk his son was about to forget.

"Spin, you better don't forget that in the car." he whispered, handing it to the teenager.

"Oh! Yeah. Thanks Dad." Paying no attention to the quiet exchange, Theresa walked to the front door with the others following. A black-haired maid welcomed them.

"Good afternoon Annmarie."

"Good afternoon Miss Theresa. Mr. Nicholas." she replied, acknowledging Fox while taking their coats, as well as Liz's, Jason's and Spinelli's. "Mr. Luis dropped Ethan Martin earlier today. He is on the terrace with Mr. Alistair, Miss Katherine and visitors. They are expecting you."

"Thank you. We'll join them." Then, her stomach growled. "Would you please bring a lemonade jar with glasses and fruits over as soon as you can?"

"Sure, Miss Theresa." Smiling as the fairly new – and shy – employee hurried away, Theresa exchanged a look with her husband.

"Visitors? I don't remember Alistair saying he expected anyone today."

"Only one way to find out. Besides, I'm sure Little Ethan is impatient to see you." Taking in the lead, he leaded the group to the terrace. As soon as they stepped out, Alistair rose.

"There you are! I was just telling Katherine that you'd both be home soon." He eyed the Morgans. "And you brought guests. Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. I trust the trip was pleasant."

"Very. It's always a pleasure to come back here. Feels like a second home."

"I'm fairly sure your mother would agree. She and Jeffrey were always eager to spend their summers in Harmony."

"Anything to get away from cloudy Colorado."

"It's a shame they stopped after moving to Port Charles. Your father was quite a golfer. Would give me and Julian a run for our money. Does he still play?"

"Unfortunately, no. I don't think there are golf courses in Russia."

"Oh that's right. I keep forgetting both Cristina and Jeffrey are part of the Doctors without Borders association." He motioned the table and chairs. "Come, take a seat." Surprised by the interaction between Alistair and her cousin, Theresa crossed her arms on her chest with unconcealed interest.

"Now, who's hiding something?" Elizabeth's cheeks reddened. "Uncomfortable much?"

"Resa, I…" Alistair chuckled.

"You haven't told her?"

"Tell me what, exactly?"

"Mr. Crane thought my strong private investigator skills could be useful for your revenge plan so he hired me." Spin explained. Fox threw an appreciative look at the son of his wife's cousin.

"You _must _really be good. Grandfather usually doesn't go for youngsters like you."

"Trust me, he is. I've tested him and the results were beyond my expectations. Speaking of, Damien. Why don't we go review your contract in my study?" After both men departed, Elizabeth looked over at Theresa.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you."

"Yes, you should. I do find it a little hypocritical of you, especially since you slammed me for not telling you I got married fifteen minutes or so ago. Yet, I can't find it in myself to be angry. I'm glad you're here, vacations or not."

"I _truly _took a leave from the hospital…It just so happen to be for an undetermined period of time."

"What? Why?"

"Liz and I want to explore the possibility of living here permanently." Theresa's eyes widened at Jason's announcement.

"You're moving here?"

"We might. I'll have to see if it's possible to uproot Cam from preschool and transfer him into one here. Then, there's my job. If I can get a full-time position, I don't see any reason why I would return to Port Charles."

"Well, Jason's family lives there."

"Be as it may, my parents and sister can always make the six hours drive or take a plane from New York to Portland if they really want to see us. Moreover, I will feel so much better with distance between me and my paternal grandfather. Edward is…like a shark when it comes to the newest Quartermaine generation. Not having him constantly hovering over Cam and Spinelli will be a relief." Jason's baby blue eyes temporarily reflected the animosity he felt for his father's father.

"All that is fine but what about _your _job?"

"I resigned a week ago although I still am part owner of Coffee Del Mundo."

"Sonny and his coffee shop! I'll never understand what his passion with the beverage is." Jason frowned.

"You know Sonny?"

"Of course! I presume Lizzie never told you that we're related to him via our mothers?"

"No." He looked over at his wife and noticed she was biting her bottom lip, a habit of hers when she was nervous.

"Mama and Cristina are Adela's third and fourth sisters."

"I see."

"So. Basically, you're telling me that you're available in the job department. Right?"

"Yes." Pouring herself a glass of the lemonade Annmarie had just brought, Theresa sat down next to her cousin and smiled.

"I think we might have interesting offers for both you and Elizabeth."

"Which are?" the brunette asked, curiosity etched on her features.

"First of all, living arrangements. Since Damien will be working for Alistair, I'll ask Phyllis, our housekeeper now since Mama runs the Bennett Bed and Breakfast, to prepare two rooms in the north wing."

"Theresa, it won't be necessary. We don't want to intrude."

"You won't. Yet, if you prefer, the guest house is available. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, a cozy kitchen and even a garden in the back."

"Actually, Jase already made appointments for houses…"

"Nonsense. I insist that you, Jason and your boys stay on the estate, should it only be for the whole duration of Damien's contract…rent-free"

"What? No!"

"Liz, humor me."

"Resa, if we are going to move in the guest house, you will have to let us pay a little something. It's not up for negotiation."

"Okay. How about three hundred dollars a month, housekeeping included?"

"Not enough. For a house like that, I'd say seven hundred."

"Four hundred."

"Five hundred and fifty. Nothing more, nothing less." Sighing, Theresa relented. She knew her cousin wouldn't let her have the last word.

"Fine."

"Good." Elizabeth flashed her pearly whites, happy with herself.

"Now, about jobs. I know for a fact there is a position opening on the hospital's administration board, given that I've sat on it ever since my phony marriage to Fox's father, Julian, was believed valid."

"How you managed to keep it after it was revealed invalid wows me."

"Well, she did have Alistair on her side." Theresa sent a warm smile in Katherine's way.

"A miracle I thank God everyday for. Anyway, I think this could be a very rewarding position for you Lizzie, given all the energy you've put into General Hospital as a surgical nurse."

"I don't know, Theresa. I'm used to working long hours, exchanges with the patients and giving medical care. Taking part to the administration of the hospital – learning bylaws and all – doesn't scare me, mind you. It's just…"

"You wouldn't be just sitting on the board. You would also be the Nurse Supervisor, working closely with the Chief of Staff, Dr. Barron Fairchild and Head Nurse, Josephine Dupree. Some of your responsibilities would consist of running evaluations of the nursing staff twice a month, doing the weekly schedules and keep the staff's registry up to date among others. If I remember correctly, it's a full-time day job – thirty hours a week – and the salary is very good, around thirty-five dollars an hour. The Friday afternoon is strictly reserved for the board meeting."

"Thirty-five dollars an hour? Are you _serious_?"

"Yes, I am. If you think you can tackle it, I will fax your complete folder to Mr. Cavendish immediately after dinner. That way, he'll have time to review it before the meeting tomorrow."

"You have my folder?" Sheepishly, Theresa looked away momentarily.

"When Eleanor Morrow announced her impending retirement, Robert – Mr. Cavendish – asked the board to try to find a suitable replacement. Then, when I checked the mail that night, I came upon your latest letter. Thinking you wouldn't be against a promotion, and that you ostensibly wouldn't mind moving to Harmony if you had the chance, I took the liberty of calling your superior at GH and had him send your folder over via express mail."

"Thanks for consulting with me first." Elizabeth replied sarcastically.

"Oh, come on Lizzie! Don't you dare tell me you won't consider such a promotion! You would earn twice the salary you currently make."

"I didn't say I wouldn't consider it. I'm saying you should have talked about it with me before doing anything."

"I would have, after Robert would have gone over your candidature tomorrow and the board members determined whether or not you are worth this very important and highly-coveted position."

"And if I am not?"

"I still have a few other options but they don't matter because I just know you will get the job."

"Nothing is cast in stone, Theresa. Someone more qualified could always…" The Latina-Irish woman held her hand up.

"You will get it, Liz. You just wait. As for you Jason, knowing _exactly_ what kind of job you are used to…" she continued, referring to his former days as a mob enforcer. "…Fox and I have thought about hiring you as one of the Co-Heads of Security at Crane Industries. Mr. Lamar Parmentier has been expressing his wish to depart from Harmony for quite some time now, citing a need to relocate near his children in New Orleans. If you accept, it'll save Fox the trouble of interviewing."

"What would I be doing?"

"Essentially, you'd be in charge of the afternoon security staff, divided in five teams. The Vault team covers the seldom-titled area where all documents pertaining to Crane Industries are stashed. Very few high-ranked executives have an access card to the Vault so there shouldn't be any problem there. The Fishery team covers the Cannery and its surroundings – mainly docks. They also control any shipments coming in or out. The Mansion team mostly covers the estate, including the guest house so don't be surprised if you look outside and see men dressed in black walk by. The fourth and fifth teams are the most important. They cover Crane Industries, situated downtown, right across the town hall, public library, museum and bank."

"The building is that vast?"

"Trust me, you'll be astonished. The fourth team covers the first four levels and the underground parking lot while the fifth is assigned to the six upper levels. Your office will be on the fifth, in front of the elevators. Next to it, you'll find the surveillance center. If anything out of the ordinary happens, you'll know it. However, you are not expected to leave the building. That's the job of each team's appointed leader. Of course, as one of eight Co-Head of Security, you'd have to patrol regularly within the vicinity and report any incident, as minimal as it may be."

"The schedule?"

"Yours would be from noon to six pm, Monday to Friday. Thirty hours a week, just like your wife."

"And the salary?" Fox was the one to answer.

"Eighty dollars per hour. So, what do you think? Up for it?" Jason was about to respond when Phyllis appeared next to them.

"Theresa? Ethan is in the living room with Jane. He is asking for you."

* * *

_Next on Time to move on: _

Spinelli gets a briefing.

Ethan surprises Theresa.

An intuition is confirmed.

* * *

Please, please leave a review. -Laurie-Lee


	15. Déjà Vu

_**Déjà Vu**_

_Author's note: Here's another chappie. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: The part between Ethan and Sam has been in parts taken straight out of the story 'Unconditionally' posted here on by SingingLala's. Therefore, much of the writings of that specific scene belong to that author. I only twisted it to suit my needs._

Alistair sat at his mahogany desk, hands crossed. In a comfortable sofa in front of him, Spinelli had just finished reading his contract.

"Are you satisfied with the terms?"

"Mostly."

"What's wrong?"

"You are being way too generous, Mr. Crane." The Crane patriarch chuckled.

"From now on, it'll be Alistair for you, my boy. No need for formalities. And the wage will not be revised downwards. It is my firm belief that you should be paid accordingly. And your skills are _absolutely_ remarkable." No one used to being complimented, Spin felt his cheeks become hot. "Do not underestimate yourself, Damien. That would be one regrettable mistake. No one has _ever_ breached into my company's computer system. I had experts try for months without success. Yet, you did it in less than half-an-hour. You impressed me, hence the high salary. Anything else?"

"Apart from that, no. Everything is quite clear and in accordance to what I was expecting."

"Wonderful. Affix your signature and I can begin your briefing." Spin took the pen the elder man was handing him and signed both the legal document and the confidentiality clause attached to it. "Excellent. Now. Tomorrow, an envelope with your name on it will be delivered to the guest house."

"The guest house?" Spinelli interrupted, confused. "Sir, I don't think my parents intended to stay on the estate. I know Dad got us rooms at the Holiday Inn…"

"Reservations I am sure he'll cancel soon enough. Knowing my granddaughter-in-law, she will convince both he and your mother to live on the grounds."

"What makes you so sure they'll accept?"

"Trust me, my boy. Theresa Crane will never take no for an answer." The teenager recognized the truthfulness of Alistair's words and nodded approvingly. "So…The envelope. You will find three things inside. The first will be an access card to the Vault, which is the back portion of the Crane Industries building. All video footage of the various camera systems I own is saved on multiple sizeable hard drives stashed on the underground level which is distinctively separated from the parking lot. The five other levels contain documents pertaining to the company, properties owned by the family and various other files."

"Your very own encyclopedia…"

"Sort of. Along with the access card, you will find the keys of your new car." Spinelli's jaw dropped in shock. Of all the things he had not been expecting, that had to be at the top of the list. "Yes. I probably very rightfully assumed you had your driver's license so I took the liberty of buying you a black Aveo. As my employee, you will need your own mean of transportation. Think of it as a premature gift for all the help you'll provide your cousin."

"I will do my best, Alistair. But it doesn't mean my luck will get us the jackpot."

"Luck is a word the human mind empowers meaninglessly. I simply _don't_ believe in it. Our successes stem from our efforts and all the energies we put into a specific goal. And you, Damien… You possess an extraordinary mind. When you focus it on something you want, you will stop at nothing to get it, using legal and illegal means alike. Just like me. And that is what makes me completely certain the revenge plan will be a flawless bloodbath. Everyone who ever incurred the wrath of Theresa Crane will be left unscathed. They will all pay dearly." The undercurrent in the Crane patriarch's tone made Liz's son shiver. There would definitely be pain and suffering. His gaze turned toward his laptop's transportation bag which contained one explosive secret recorded on a tiny disk. Just that one would send the whole town into a tailspin.

"What's the third thing?"

"A $30,000 American Express credit card. For expanses such as gasoline, dinning fees and mostly clothes. While you like your current style, I suggest you buy at least three business suits. It'll be much easier to mix in at Crane Industries with designer clothes than with what you're wearing right now." Alistair said, pointing his faded jeans, worn Nike sneakers and white Metallica t-shirt

"Indubitably."

"In term of schedule. You will have free rein when it comes to your searching activities. However, specific duties will require your attendance, such as dinners and meetings. To explain your presence within the company's building, I have prepared an office at your intention, not far from Fox's and Theresa's. That way, employees will believe you're a new executive."

"Perfect cover."

"Indeed. You'll be introduced as such first thing Monday morning. Fox will fill you in on the specifics."

"Speaking of. I would like to know more about what I will be researching."

"I hope you're seated comfortably, son, because that discussion will take quite some time."

* * *

She watched him from the library's doorway as he walked in circles in front the fireplace, their daughter in his arms, playing with the plastic keys Fox had gotten for her when she'd first started teething. His left hand rested on her lower back, supporting her, while his right one played with some of her blonde curls. Deciding to make her presence known, she stepped into the living room.

As soon as she came on sight, Jane dropped her toy and extended her arms toward her. Feeling his daughter move, Ethan turned around. In silence, he closed the gap between them and passed Jane over to her.

"Hey there, baby girl. Mama missed you so much." Theresa breathed in the scent of her youngest child and hugged her tightly. It had been four weeks since custody had been turned over to her father and yet, to her, it felt like years. Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she felt the little girl cuddle up close. She couldn't wait to have her back permanently. But, first things first, she'd have to create chaos and drag hell on her enemies beforehand. "Ethan." she said, finally acknowledging him.

"Theresa." he responded warily, unsure on how to proceed and clearly uncomfortable. He hadn't set foot in the Mansion since Fox had brought Jane to live with him and had gone out of his way not to cross path with Theresa ever since. Yet, here he stood, unable to move, staring into the eyes of the woman, whom not so long ago, still loved him. But now, he could only see resentment reflected back at him…and he understood why. His mind was transported three days prior when he'd had a conversation with his father and how it somehow enlightened him about certain things.

_He and Sam __sat on the Bennett house porch, drinking beer. It had been a habit of theirs as of late. Whenever Grace would go to meetings with her knitting club, the father would call the son so they could spend time together. Quite frankly, Ethan had started to believe it was a way for the Chief of Police to make up for the twenty-five years they'd lost. But he didn't mind. It was a way for him to get out of the house._

_In front of him__, two crystal blue orbs stared at him, worry filling them._

"_What you're trying to do to will not work, you know."_

"_And what's that?" he asked, taking another sip of __the alcoholic beverage, averting the older man's gaze, not wanting to face the disappointment he was sure was written all over his father's face. All he'd wanted was to sit and drink in peace, enjoy the moment as he usually did. Forget, even just for a little while, the mess he'd made of his life. But, as usual, Sam wouldn't let him hide._

"_You're trying to make Theresa hate you." Forcing out a laugh, Ethan shot him an incredulous look._

"_Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? Why in the world would I be trying to make her hate me?"_

"_It's simple, really. You think that if you hurt her badly enough, she'll hate you. She'll cross you definitely from her heart. And then, moving on won't be so hard. You think that it's easier to run from your emotions than to have to finally face up to them. You act like a coward, son."_

"_Coward? I am _not_ a coward, Dad!" he protested. "I'm trying to do what is best for my wife, to protect my marriage."_

"_Lies. You're protecting yourself. You're scared. Ever since Gwen lost touch with reality and ran away with Jane – something that made you grow closer to Theresa again – your iron control over your heart, over your feelings, is all but disappearing. That terrifies you. Face it, Ethan. She scares you."_

"_She doesn't scare me." His voice sounded weak to his own ears._

"_Yes, she does. You lose control around her. You're open and you feel. You're human, and not the perfect, untouchable image Ivy raised you to be. From where I stand, you and Theresa have seen every side of one another. Laughed, cried, loved, fought, and done unspeakable things to__ each other. But despite all of the pain, you still love her and, somehow, she still loves you. Maybe not as much as she used to, but you will remain her first love."_

"_Dad…"_

"_No, son. Hear me out. She is still there. I think that's what scares you the most. That no matter how ugly things have been, no matter how much you have put one another through, no matter how hard you've tried and pushed her away, Theresa is still there. And you don't know how to deal with that."_

"_How can she?" he asked in a disbelieving voice. "How can she do that?" Sam smiled tenderly at his eldest child._

"_Because that's what true love, may it only just be friendly, is about. It's unconditional. No strings, no rules, no traps. And that's how she loves you. Unconditionally. I know it's hard for you to accept and understand, given you haven't had a lot of it in your life prior to meeting her. I get that you certainly didn't get that kind of love from your mother or Julian growing up. And now, your wife is too wrapped in her wants and needs to deal with yours."_

"_Gwen…" he said, only to be cut off again._

"_Gwen loves you as long as you toe her line. Anyone within their right mind would __see that." Arching a brow, Ethan stared at his father. "What? You think I don't see the way she acts? That I haven't noticed when something doesn't go her way, she cries wolf?"_

"_I…" he stammered._

"_You've never taken a real good look at her, did you? Behind her mask of a dutiful victimized wife hides a vindictive, insecure and cold woman."_

"_Dad, please. Not you too…"_

"_You need to face reality, son. Gwen loves the golden boy she used to know. The man who did everything to please everybody else, especially her. But you aren't that person anymore, Ethan. You haven't been for years now. She doesn't want the real you. She doesn't even know the real you. You need to break free and stop being a puppet she keeps on manipulating as she sees fit. Theresa has never…"_

"_She's manipulated me too."_

"_Maybe so but it wasn't done out of spite and revenge. She did it out of love. Despite the wrongness of her actions, her intentions were good. That's what matters. Pilar's daughter has never meant to hurt you. I can't say the same for Gwen."_

"_Why…"_

"_Why am I telling you all that now? Because I think it's time for you to open your eyes before it's far too late. While Theresa is lost to you as a partner, you don't have to lose her as a friend too. All you need is to stand up for yourself and do the right thing _by you_. I'll give you the same advice I gave you years ago, before you made the fateful choice which defined your life as it is. Listen to your heart instead of your head."_

"_You also told me that if you'd known Mother had been pregnant with your child, you would have__ fought tooth and nail for her."_

"_Yes, that much it true. But there was a striking difference between your situation and mine. I loved Ivy, and only her, back then. Grace wasn't around yet. I wasn't stuck between two women. If it hadn't been of your grandfather and Alistair's scheming, your mother and I would have married. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. But you…you ultimately made the wrong choice." Ethan's eyes narrowed._

"_I did what you would have done! I married the mother of my child.__ How can you say it wasn't the right decision?"_

"_Tell me something, son. Who took center stage in your thoughts on your wedding day?" He stayed silent. That was answer enough for Sam. "It certainly wasn't Gwen, was it? No. Of course not because Theresa was truly the woman in your heart, the one you pictured next to you that day."_

"_Gwen was carrying my child, Dad. I couldn't possibly deprive my baby from growing up in a loving home with both its parents."_

"_And where is your child now but six feet under in the cold ground at the cemetery." A fresh wave of pain squeezed at Ethan's heart at the thought of his stillborn daughter. "The hell that is your life right now all stem from that fateful mistake. You did the exact opposite of what I advised you. By doing so, you became your own worst enemy."_

"_Is that your way of telling me I am responsible for everything that happened since then, including Sarah's death?" Sam backed off immediately, taken aback by the amount of pain his son's eyes reflected._

"_I didn't say that.__ Your daughter dying, your wife being barren, the whole situation with Ethan Martin, the surrogacy fiasco, Jane's unusual conception, her rocky birth, Gwen's breakdown, the stabbing, the kidnapping…those were just twists Life threw at you. Nonetheless, I've sat and watched you go through all that, not muttering a word. I've seen your wife's vicious personae break through her mask more than once. I've witnessed Theresa defend herself and go through the pain and heartache, wondering how she found the strength to do so. It still amazes me, Ethan. Despite everything, she is still standing. Anyone else would have crumbled a long time ago."_

"_Funny. Fox told me __the exact same words about weeks ago when he dropped Jane over."_

"_Because it's true.__ Yet, I don't know how you managed to stand there and do absolutely nothing."_

"_My hands were tied, Dad. Seeing Theresa suffer hurt me but I had to honor the promise I'd made to my wife on Sarah's coffin and later on Nathan's."_

"_Ethan, you __did not have a hand in their deaths." _

"_I disagree. If I'd been stronger…if I hadn't kissed Theresa on that beach in Los Angeles and resisted her back here more than a year ago…maybe they would both be alive."_

"_You desperately need to let go of the guilt, son.__ Sarah's stillbirth was a terrible tragedy, which, to my opinion, couldn't have been prevented one way or the other."_

"_What do you mean?" he asked, tears brimming in his blue orbs. Sam inhaled deeply before launching into his explanation._

"_I know Gwen repeatedly claimed Theresa knew she was having contractions and refused to get help…that she deliberately pushed her down the elevated poolside. However, that, right there, is something I can't reconcile myself with about the events. I've known Luis's sister all her life and while she's shown some viciousness at times, she would never _ever_ hurt an innocent child. She might have hated your wife with a passion but she'd never have extended her hatred to a baby…especially yours."_

"_Still, if I hadn't kissed her…"_

"_There was no way you could have known you were taped or that it was being broadcasted live on national television, son. Moreover, Gwen knew how precarious her condition was. Kiss or no kiss, she should have stayed in the hospital. Your unborn child's welfare should have been her first priority, not coming to the apartment complex and confront you." Droplets escaped Ethan's eyes as he realized the truthfulness of his father's words. "But she disregarded doctor's orders and left anyway, dooming Sarah. As for Nathan, it's most definitely not Theresa's fault if her body couldn't sustain the double pregnancy."_

"_She drugged our surrogate and __got implanted with our embryo in her place."_

"_In order to get back her son, which you and Gwen adopted after Rebecca took him from her on false accounts of neglect. Again, she didn't do it to hurt you. I have no doubt that if the roles were reversed, you would have done the same thing."_

"_And how do you explain the fact that she drugged my wine, disguised herself as my wife and raped me?" At that, Sam chuckled._

"_Are you really going to stand there, look at me in the eyes and state it was _rape_? Disguise or not, I am positively sure you knew deep down to whom you were really making love to." Ivy's son kept quiet once more, forced to face the truth. "Your silence is pretty self-explanatory. You can't conceal the truth anymore, Ethan. Especially not from me. We might know one another only since a couple years but I can read right through you. You still love Theresa, no matter how much you try to deny it to yourself and others. She knows who you really are, as opposed to your wife. Just like you know her."_

"_Do I, now?" he questioned, with slight sarcasm. "To be completely truthful here, I don't even think I do anymore. All contact I've had with her since I sued for full custody has been tainted with angst and resentment"_

"_Well, what did you expect? Did you really think you could __keep on pushing and pushing and pushing it and she'd still roll with the flow? She was bound to snap at some point and it just so happened to be when you caved in to Gwen about taking Jane away."_

"_I had to do it for her, Dad! Dr. Jenkins said…"_

"_I don't _care_ what he said. No mother should ever be separated from her child!" The sharpness in Sam's tone shocked Ethan to its core. He'd never seen his father so authoritarian. "I've told you that and I still haven't changed my stance on the subject."_

"_She was the one who turned our daughter's custody over to me.__ I had all but changed my mind about it when she did so."_

"_Then why didn't you contest it? You were in court, son. The judge was right there. You could have worked out some sort of arrangement on the spot."_

"_I…"__ Unable to respond, he bowed his head in shame. Truth be told, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind then._

"_Theresa exonerating Gwen was an extremely good gesture on her part. By doing so, she single-handedly put a stop to this sick tug-of-war game that had been going on between your wife, you and herself for years. She became the bigger person. I have no idea where she mustered the strength to allow your daughter anywhere near the woman who kidnapped and kept her away from her family for months.__"_

"_Gwen loves Jane."__ he replied vehemently._

"_Only when it's convenient. Who knows what she'll do once it registers that she can't stick it to Theresa anymore."_

"_She wouldn't…"_

"_Trust me, son. She most definitely could and that's what scares me. Let's not lie to ourselves here. Your wacked out 'mommy dearest' of a wife _is_ unstable, even with all the therapy she's gone through. She's been obsessed with Theresa ever since you called off your first wedding and that hasn't changed to this day. And as long as she'll know you're in love with your half-brother's wife, Gwen will stop at nothing to undermine her, any way she can. That's her pattern." _

"_Dad, please…"_

"_No! You need to get your head out of the sand about that. And, despite the way you've dealt your cards lately, I know for a fact you won't make Theresa hate you, no matter what you do. She'll get angry at you, hell even pissed beyond any rational measure, but you two have gone through so much for your basic friendship to simply dissolve."_

"_She's married to Fox now and I made vows to Gwen..."_

"_So what? Haven't you heard any word of what I've been telling you? Running from the way you feel about Theresa isn't going to stop those feelings, Ethan. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you will never, ever, be rid of her. She'll be in your heart, and on your mind. Every time you will look at Jane, you'll see her and wish she was there with you. Every night as you go to sleep, you'll wish it was her lying in bed next to you. When you have sex with Gwen, you'll fantasize it's her you're touching. Oh, I know you, Ethan. You'll pretend you're happy with the way things are, but one day, pretending just isn't going to be enough. You'll have to face your feelings and deal with your fears. And soon, before it eats you alive and consume your every thought."_

"_You're right." h__e whispered, unable to deny the truth in Sam's words…again. "But what am I supposed to do?"_

"_That's not for me to decide. You have enough people trying to force you to do what they want. I'm not going to be another voice to add to the list. You're a grown man, son. You decide what you truly want, what you truly deserve and forget about what other people tell you is the right thing to do. It's not their life, Ethan. It's yours. I gave you my sincere opinion. Whatever you decide, all I ask is that you listen to your heart this time around and let it lead you. It won't steer you wrong."_

"Ethan, I asked what are you doing here?" His mind was propelled back to the present where Theresa still stared at him darkly.

"I think we need to talk...about Jane."

"What is there left to talk about? I thought Ken covered everything pretty well in the custody papers we sent you."

"He did…but I'd like to make some changes." Absolute anger flashed in her brown irises.

"If you think, even for one second, that I will let you go back on our agreement, you're sadly mistaken. I have allowed you to bring too much hell into my life as it is. No more. You will _not_ steamroll me into doing your sick wife's bidding ever again!"

"Theresa, calm down. It isn't like that. I don't want to take our daughter from you permanently. Quite the opposite in fact. I want to turn the tides in your favor."

"What do you mean?"

"I firmly believe shared custody would benefit everyone at this point." Theresa's eyes widened in shock.

"Is this some sort of cruel joke?" He shook his head negatively.

"I'm serious. In all fairness, I want you two to have more mother-daughter bonding time." She raised an eyebrow.

"What gives?"

"Theresa…"

"No, really. Just a short month and some weeks ago, you still believed having full custody was the best thing for everyone involved, especially for Gwen so she could heal properly from her mental breakdown. And now, you say that keeping her from me isn't fair. What's with the sudden turnaround?"

"Gwen's healing is not progressing as I thought it would. She's still trying to make Jane call her mommy and I don't like it, not one bit. I don't want our daughter to be confused as to who her real mother is."

"How thoughtful of you. A little late but still." Theresa replied with sarcasm. Silence befell them for a few minutes before Ethan spoke again.

"I came straight from the hospital."

"What happened? Is Jane sick?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, she is. She developed an ear infection stemming from a cold she had not too long ago. I knew something was wrong when she kept crying and being fussy so I brought her to see the doctor."

"What kind of ear infection?"

"Otitis media. Her middle ear is infected. Thankfully, it was diagnosed just in time before it could get worse. Dr. Benioff…"

"Dr. Benioff? But Dr. Lawrence Gordon…"

"…is the one who usually treats her, I know. He wasn't available though."

"Oh."

"As I was about to say, Dr. Benioff wrote her a prescription to prevent the rupture of her tympanic membrane. From what I understood, it would lower her fever as well as the pressure she feels significantly but be more painful. I already got her medication; children's acetaminophen, antipyrine and benzocaine ear drops as well as…"

"Let me guess, liquid amoxicillin?"

"Yes, how'd you know?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Little Ethan had ear infections before, remember?"

"Right. She also recommended maternal attention. Said the mother-child bond always helps the recovery. That's the other part of the reason why I'm here." His intention registered in Theresa's mind.

"You want Jane to stay with me?"

"Until she has properly healed, yes."

"Gwen won't like that."

"I don't care what she thinks of it. Our daughter's welfare is my priority here." She eyed him fully, puzzled by his new behavior.

"Something changed in you."

"Someone just opened my eyes to things I had blindly ignored until recently." Unwilling to disclose more, Ethan caressed his little girl's cheek. "So, about the changes I want to make to the custody agreement…"

"Which are?"

"You regain primary guardianship and get to make all decisions pertaining to Jane's life. In exchange, I get two weeks each month with her."

"Fair enough. I will call Ken later and ask him to draw up the new papers. You'll just need to come by my office Monday morning and sign them."

"Perfect." He kissed his daughter's forehead and proceeded for the front door. In the living room's doorway, he stopped and turned around.

"Could you also ask him to call me? I will need his assistance."

"What for?"

"It would only be fair that we also officially apply the same terms with Little Ethan, don't you think?" With that, he was gone. Still stunned, Theresa remained seated there in silence for a good five minutes, letting this new development sink in.

"Well, that was interesting." she heard her husband say from behind her.

"Were you there the whole time?"

"Arrived halfway through. I had to make sure he wouldn't try anything, like convince you that marrying me was a mistake."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Her sarcasm didn't go unnoticed.

"Resa, you know I trust you. It's him I don't trust."

"I know." She ran a hand on Jane's blonde curls.

"Does this change anything?"

"About what?"

"About the revenge plan."

"Maybe." She noticed dark clouds pass is his honey-brown eyes. "Something's changed in him, Fox. The Ethan who stood before me today is not the same man who sued me weeks ago."

"It could be another one of his tricks to reel you in." Laughing sarcastically, she turned her head toward him.

"You should know by now that power of his does not work on me anymore. When he crossed the line, his hooks in me dissolved. My eyes are wide open when it comes to him."

"Then, why do I feel you're reconsidering hurting him?"

"Because I am. I know you're no big fan of him but you have to admit what he just did was selfless and completely out of character.

"Let's no go ahead of ourselves here. Only when the papers will be signed and filed will I recognize his intentions were as such. For now, his words are meaningless." Noting her glum face, he approached and took her in his arms. "I know you want to believe the old Ethan, the one you said he was before I returned, is back but I just can't, Resa. Not after everything I've watched you go through because of him…"

"Because Gwen forced him, manipulated events to her own benefit…"

"It doesn't matter. He hurt you nonetheless. He allowed her and Rebecca to make your life a living hell, not even raising the shadow of a finger to help. For God's sake, he took both your children from you!"

"You heard him, Fox. He's ensuring their return."

"Shared custody is not what I call a return."

"It might not be permanent, as we would like. But it's a start." Sighing, Fox ran a hand through his hair.

"Why can't you hate him?" he asked in a desperate tone. "Why does he, despite everything he's done, still deserve your faith? I just don't understand."

"The answer is pretty simple. He was my first love." Fox flinched at her words. "Don't take me wrong, I don't love him that way anymore. But a part of me will always do, as a friend. I think the real reason why I'll never be able to truly hate him is because we went through so much together for that to happen. That's also why I am rethinking my decision to include him in the revenge plan. If he does what he said he was going to do…"

"Assuming is a long shot from what could truly happen, Theresa."

"Maybe. But somehow, I just know he'll be true to his word. Granted, his track record regarding promises looks bleak."

"Catastrophic, I'd say."

"Yes. I'll give you that. Yet…as I said, this is not the same Ethan we've known in recent years. Something has changed. We can only hope it's for the better." They were silent for a bit.

"I don't know how you do it."

"What?" she asked, locking her eyes with his.

"Have such a strong faith in others when I just don't."

"Well, you could call that feminine intuition. Whereas, when it comes to Ethan, your opinion is already biased because you've hated him all your life."

"Coming from a woman who told me, nearly three years ago, that she'd loved him for almost as long."

"You're not being fair."

"I'm just quoting you."

"You're missing something. Things changed. I love _you_ now." She kissed him softly. "You and only you. He's just…let's just say…a friend."

"I won't change your mind about reconsidering, no matter what I do, won't I?"

"No. That'll depend of him and his next moves. If he proves to be serious, I won't see any reason to continue including him in our enemies."

"And should he fail?"

"Then we'll deal with him and make him regret ever crossing us. Can you agree to that?"

"Yes, I can. But just so you know, I am hoping for failure."

"Fox!"

"I can't help it."

"Huh, huh." Flashing one of his devious smiles, he kissed the top of her head.

"So, does this mean I'll have to be civil to him?"

"For the time being, yes." He groaned.

"Alright. But just one false move, one small mistake and the hostilities are back on full force."

"Fine." Extending his hand to Jane's hair, he played with her blonde curls. At his touch, the infant raised her head toward his. Their eye contact melted his heart, chasing away thoughts of his half-brother. Suddenly, she said something.

"Dada." Then, she leaned toward him. Understanding what she wanted, and still in shock over what just happened, Theresa gave her to her husband. Once in his arms, Jane laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. They both stood there, glancing at her and one another for minutes, taken aback.

"Resa, she…" he stammered, emotions running wild in his veins. "…she called me…"

"She called you dada…as in daddy. Her first word." Tears of pride glistened in Theresa chocolate-brown irises.

"Daddy…" Fox repeated, bewildered. "She called me daddy." He too felt tears well up in his eyes. Not only of pride, but also of love. "I…I can't believe it. She said her first word…to _me_." Tightening his hold on her, he hugged her softly. "I love you Gabrielle." Surprised, his wife raised in eyebrow.

"Gabrielle?"

"Huh?" Still hugging Jane, Fox hadn't realized he'd called her differently.

"You called her by her middle name. Gabrielle." That snapped him out of his amazement.

"I have?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well… I've never really thought Jane was a good name for her. In my opinion, Gabrielle is more modern and fits her better."

"How long have you been using…"

"…that name with her? Ever since we brought her back from the compound, although I've been careful to do so only in private. I didn't want to anger anyone by doing so."

"I'm not angry in the least. Just…pleasantly surprised."

"You are?"

"Yes. It sounds lovely on your lips. And besides, Jane is the name Ethan chose for her, not me."

"Mister Fox? Miss Francesca was wondering what was taking so long and… Oh!" Annmarie's younger sister– a maid herself – stopped abruptly, realizing she was most likely disrupting a private moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt…"

"It's alright, Madeline. No harm done. You can go back to the terrace and inform Fancy we'll be there shortly. Once she was gone, Fox turned his attention back to his wife, whom stared at him questioningly.

"Fancy?" Remembering he'd never told her the name of either one of his sisters, he cracked a mocking smirk.

"My mistress."

"Ah ah! Very funny."

"Didn't think I would get bored so quickly after our wedding, did you?" All he received as an answer was an ice-cold stare and a playful slap on the right upper arm. "You can relax, little fierce pixie wifey of mine. She's no competition for you. Francesca, AKA Fancy, is my eldest sister. I talked to you about her on our honeymoon."

"The one who lives in Oakdale, Illinois?"

"Exactly. Forgot to tell you her name, did I?"

"Yup. Must have been too entranced by my naked state back then."

"Probably. Anyhow, after you left to see Ethan, Jason and I finished our talk about the security job. He's taking it, by the way."

"Excellent! Now, I'll just need to get my stubborn cousin the Nurse Supervisor job and we're settled."

"Like that'll be such a challenge for you. All you need to do is use your charms on the hospital board and she'll get it." Rolling her eyes, Theresa just reported her attention to her daughter whom was sound asleep in Fox's arms. "So, I'd just finished a call with Lamar to tell him the good news when Fance arrived with Little Ethan, her husband Alex and their kids."

"They were already here?"

"Yes. We just didn't see them because Barthelemy took them to the stable right before we drove in."

"That explains all. Good for your sister to visit. It'll be good to Ivy and get her mind off the whole custody thing."

"The amazing part is she's not just visiting. She's moving back to Harmony. I can't tell you how happy I am about that. Fancy and I have always been close, even when we were both in different boarding schools. We'd fly in and out to see each other… Oh and she also seems to be in with the revenge plan we have been concocting."

"You told her?"

"No. Apparently, she'd already been informed."

"You don't look surprised in the least."

"I'm not. Grandfather has always been very fond of her, hence why she knows. I don't mind either. She's been there for me for as long as I can remember. With Spinelli, Elizabeth, Jason and her as allies, our targets stand no chance."

"From your lips to God's ears."

"Come on, let's join them. Little Ethan is waiting and my big sis can't wait to finally meet you."

* * *

About an hour later, a cellphone rang twice.

"Yes?

"Mr. Crane, there is a call for you on line 3. A certain Dr. Benioff."

"Redirect it into my study at the Mansion. I will take it."

"Very well." Waiting for the red light on his telephone to turn red, effectively confirming the call had gone through, he picked up the receiver.

"Hello, doctor."

"Mr. Crane."

"I assume you have the results of the DNA test I ordered."

"I do. As you rightly predicted, Mr. Winthrop bought the lie about why I needed to have a sample of the baby's blood taken."

"No surprise there. The man has always been a little too gullible for his own sake." He went silent for five to ten seconds. "What do they say?"

"It must have been some intuition because Jane Gabrielle Winthrop is indeed your grandson's daughter. Their DNA perfectly matches." Releasing a breath he hadn't thought he'd been withholding, the Crane patriarch felt a mix of relief and determination wash over him.

"Do you want me to inform the mother?"

"No, that won't be necessary, Claire. I'll tell Theresa and Fox in due time. Just make sure the only two copies of the results remain in your hands and mine. No one else must see them. _Ever_. Am I clear?"

"I've been working with you long enough to know what would happen to me should it somehow be leaked. Do not worry. This secret is safe with me."

"Good. Thank you." Hanging up, Alistair went to the bay window above the terrace. His eyes went from the infant who now rested peacefully in Fancy's arms to Sarah whom ran around nearby with Little Ethan. It was still unbelievable to him that his intuition had been right. Fox was Jane's father. Talk about déjà vu…

* * *

_Next on Time to move on: _

Gwen is aghast by Ethan's latest actions.

A brainstorming session occurs.

Ivy unknowingly gives Theresa a powerful way to get Little Ethan back permanently.

* * *

A review would be extremely appreciated.


	16. Playing dirty

_**Playing Dirty**_

_Author's note: Muse's been trying to get away. But, storywise, the fun really begins. You may have also noticed that I changed the title of the story from 'Time to move on' to 'Full Circle'. I think it's more appropriate now, since Theresa _has_ moved on._ _Another thing that has been changed is the spoiler 'Ivy unknowingly gives Theresa a powerful way to get Little Ethan back permanently.' While I wrote this chapter, another character took that idea out of my hands and used it. Sorry for the wrongful spoiler._

"I'm sorry Mr. Winthrop. Mr. Howard is still busy at the moment." Groaning, Ethan glanced at his watch. 7:30 PM. His wife would be back from the spa anytime now.

"Miss. I've waited for nearly two hours and a half before calling back, just like your employer told me earlier. I really need to get in contact with him. This is of utmost importance."

"I cannot disturb him right now. He is with clients. All I can do is put you on hold. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course." Closing the file he'd been reading and leaning back on his recliner, his mind wandered to his meeting with Theresa earlier. She'd been…different. Less cold toward him. Of course, the fact he wanted to ensure their daughter and her son's custody to be reinstated primarily to her surely helped the softening of her stance. He could tell she'd been completely and utterly taken aback by his decision. And, she'd been quite right to be.

Looking back on past years after Sam's timely intervention, he'd realized he'd been so focused on running away from his feelings that he'd become a man he'd swore to himself he would never be. Cold, self-centered, abusive emotionally…an empty shell of the man he used to be.

Where had the real him gone? The real Ethan, who would have moved earth and sky for Theresa, the woman he truly loved? Who would have let his heart steer him in the right direction, regardless of what everyone else wanted. His father's words kept flying around in his head, bringing about so many questions which now, he could so easily answer.

"_Why in the world would I be trying to make her hate me?"_

"_It's simple, really. You think that if you hurt her badly enough, she'll hate you. She'll cross you definitely from her heart. And then, moving on won't be so hard. You think that it's easier to run from your emotions than to have to finally face up to them. You act like a coward, son."_

Sam had been dead on. He _had_ been trying to make Theresa hate him, to make her turn off her feelings for him so he could finally be at ease with taking the easy way out. Because that's what he'd done when he'd chosen to marry Gwen. He admitted it now. He _was_ a coward. But, when had he become one? Why after learning of the unexpected pregnancy, that is. Rebecca and his mother had just been so hell-bent on convincing him marrying her was the right thing to do. Oh sure, he'd temporarily rebelled at the idea but eventually, he'd made the mistake of coming around. That had cost him plenty and started his downward spiral into misery.

"_Coward? I am _not_ a coward, Dad!" he protested. "I'm trying to do what is best for my wife, to protect my marriage."_

"_Lies. You're protecting yourself." _

Protect his marriage… How many times had he used that excuse – because that's exactly what it was – to get out of sticky situation like it'd been the perfect answer? At every turn, he'd spewed the same words, hiding behind them to truly protect himself and fight his never-ending, consuming feelings. As for protecting Gwen…well, that had just been a half-truth. Yes, he'd tried to protect her alright… Just not from Pilar's daughter but from himself and his inability to fully commit to her. He'd tried everything, _everything_, to get Theresa out of his system. No, that right there was a lie. He'd never tried because he knew, in the depth of his soul, he'd never be able to. Slowly but surely, she'd gotten under his skin and imbued his whole being with her presence. How could she get to him so much? Why?

"_She doesn't scare me." His voice sounded weak to his own ears._

"_Yes, she does." _

As much as he'd tried to deny it, Theresa did scare him. Her strength, the unstoppable energy radiating from her, the power of her emotions… Where did they come from? How could she, after accusing one betrayal after another, muster enough courage to get up in the morning, walk her head high and get through every day without breaking down?

"_You lose control around her. You're open and you feel. You're human, and not the perfect, untouchable image Ivy raised you to be."_

Spot on. Whereas with Gwen, he felt numb…empty. His heart shut down and his brain only dictated his every moves. Come to think of it, whenever his wife was around, he became ice. Deathly, freezing ice. But with Theresa, he regained all senses. Liquid fire burned in his veins, unleashing the power of heart over mind. With her, he became alive. Like a warm, bubbling sun.

"…_no matter how ugly things have been, no matter how much you have put one another through, no matter how hard you've tried and pushed her away, Theresa is still there. And you don't know how to deal with that."_

A soft laugh, dripping with sarcasm, escaped his throat. He _hadn't_ wanted to deal with her constant presence, with her stubbornness. Why? Because if he'd done so, it would have meant facing up reality and questioning every single decision he'd ever taken...his entire marriage. Exactly what Sam had forced him to do three days ago.

_Gwen loves the golden boy she used to know. The man who did everything to please everybody else, especially her. But you aren't that person anymore, Ethan. You haven't been for years now. She doesn't want the real you. She doesn't even know the real you.__ You need to break free…"_

He was so definitely far from that man. The man he'd been before Theresa had entered his life and made him the man he knew he still was deep down, beneath all the ice. Somehow, upon the Irish-Latina's contact, his priorities had shifted. No longer had he needed exclusive treatment, excessive amounts of money or even all the perks his last name entailed. No. All of that meant nothing next to love. She had taught him how to truly love, selflessly, without expecting anything in return. Quite the opposite of what he'd experienced since that night of 2002. From the moment he'd chosen 'the easy way out', he'd promptly locked away this treasured knowledge and started to revert back to the Ethan he'd been while away from Harmony. However, such a valuable discovery could not be ignored and his futile attempts to go back to being the golden boy had been all but unsuccessful. And, unable to fully revert, he'd become stuck square in the middle. On one part, being all about doing the right thing and pleasing everybody else, sacrificing the very essence of the new – and real – him. On the other, being this lively man hiding in the shadows, allowing his true personae to break through in dire times and fighting his inner desires with all his might.

"…_it's time for you to open your eyes before it's far too late. While Theresa is lost to you as a partner, you don't have to lose her as a friend too.__"_

It hurt him. The very result – ultimate karma – of his string of bad choices…the loss of the woman he truly loved…absolutely tore him inside. He'd caused, on his own, his noble intentions to destroy the one precious thing he'd ever had. True love had been what he'd desired above all and wished for since his childhood. He'd found that with Theresa…and stupidly lost it.

He truly should have listened to Chad. The black man had told him times and times again he'd lose her if he was to go on with his farce of a marriage and ignore what his heart told him. He'd refused to listen, selfishly believing she would find a way to save him from his hell…thinking he could have his cake and eat it too. Bad, costly mistake.

And now, _now_, she had moved on, turned her affections elsewhere where they'd be reciprocated in all fairness. Toward Fox, his half-brother. Whom was free to give her everything she deserved…free to be with her in every sense of the word...free to focus his heart and soul only on her. Amazing as it was, he couldn't bring himself to hate him for it. The man had _everything_ Ethan had once taken for granted; the Crane Heir title, a blooming safe career, a devoted wife and…a loving family.

Oh God! If there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that Fox would consider Little Ethan and Jane as his own and treat them as such. Despite his chaotic upbringing, he would be a wonderful father. Just that thought made him teary-eyed. He couldn't possibly expect Fox and Theresa not to have children at some point, could he? That'd be way too much selfish of him. Of course they would. The realization was painful. The worst part? It'd be all thanks to him and his weakness.

Yet, tugging in the back of his mind, a single sentence.

"_All you need is to stand up for yourself and do the right thing _by you_."_

The right thing by him… What was it, really? He absolutely had no idea, aside from eventually fully returning Jane and Little Ethan to their mother. He hadn't really thought about that. What had taken priority in his mind was the custody thing and facing Theresa.

"_You're a grown man, son. You decide what you truly want, what you truly deserve and forget about what other people tell you is the right thing to do. It's not their life, Ethan. It's yours."_

Once Ken would okay the changes he wanted to make in the custody papers, he'd have to think about what the right thing to do by him was…to pray for some sign of God to nudge him in the right direction.

"Mr. Winthrop? Are you still there?" The high pitch voice of the secretary forced him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I am."

"Thank you for your patience. Mr. Howard will take your call in a minute or two." Elevator music filled his ear again. Soon enough, he was in communication with the hot-shot lawyer.

"Mr. Winthrop. I see you've made some serious improvements in terms of punctuality. I wasn't expecting you to do as I asked and call again tonight." Ignoring the jab, Ethan simply went straight to the point.

"Did you receive the changes I want to make regarding custody of my daughter and godson I faxed you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I did. Quite a turnaround on your part. I have to say, I'm impressed."

"Are the papers ready?"

"They are, along with the safety clause. Mrs. Crane called earlier to give her approval. She asked they be delivered to her office first thing Monday morning."

"Excellent. Now, about what I asked you earlier…"

"I presume you mean the adoption termination request?"

"Yes. When do you think you can have them drawn up?"

"They already are. However, taking into consideration Judge Roberts is currently still on vacation, I won't be able to meet with her before four days. And even then, that's not cast in stone. Besides, if you really wish to go through with this, you better be prepared. You'll have substantial work to do."

"I don't care. I have to do it. I _should_ have done it a long time ago."

"I agree. Nonetheless, the trickiest part will be to get your wife to sign the papers."

"I'll manage. I owe it to Theresa." The line went silent. He could tell Ken was taken aback by his new stance.

"You sound very determined."

"I am."

"Good. Because, while I agreed to do this for you, this changes absolutely nothing when it comes to how I perceive you. You've got a long way to go to gain any kind of recognition from me."

"That is clear."

"I'll call you when I have a meeting with the judge scheduled. In the meantime, I'll fax over the AT papers to your house in half-an-hour. Before if I can. Just make sure they are signed by Thursday. If we're lucky, we'll meet with Tara then."

"Thank you." He noted the info in his planner and hung up just as he heard Gwen come through the front door. Hurriedly, he grabbed his planner and stuffed it in his briefcase, taking a file out in the process. Opening it, he pretended to be reading when she stepped in the kitchen with a grocery bag.

"Hi Darling." He didn't answer. She opened the fridge and placed her purchases inside. "I saw Christine – you know, Jake Derstein's wife – and her baby boy at the spa. He is so cute. She told me about the new Gerber baby food so I thought I'd buy some for Janie. How did it go at the hospital?"

"Fine. She has an ear infection, as I suspected."

"Oh no! Poor sweetie." From the corner of his eyes, he saw her look around. "Speaking of, where is she?"

"With her mother. I dropped her earlier." All color drained from Gwen's face.

"What?" she shrieked.

"Jane is sick and the doctor who diagnosed her told me the mother-child bond could help the healing. That's why I've decided to allow her to stay at the Crane Mansion for as long as she needs to.

"Like hell that'll happen! Ethan, _we_ have custody and…"

"For the time being." he hotly countered. "And even that is about to change."

"What do you mean?"

"I called Ken Howard to make my daughter's custody status change from exclusively mine to shared. I've also taken steps to reinstate Theresa's parental rights to her son."

"You did_ what_? Have you gone _mad_?"

"No, quite the contrary. For once, I'm doing what's truly fair for both children." Taking his briefcase, he stormed out, leaving his very much aghast wife behind.

_If you think I will let__ that bitch get back what rightfully belongs to me, you've got another thing coming. I will _not_ stand for this! __Little Ethan and Jane are _mine_._

* * *

Spinelli rubbed his stomach.

"Whoa! I'm totally full. Dinner was…"

"…absolutely delicious." finished Elizabeth, sitting down next to Jason on the comfortable couch. "Your cook is amazing. Filet mignon never tasted so sweet." From across the mansion's living room, next to the fireplace, Theresa smiled wickedly.

"So says the woman who's been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember. Keep that up and I won't recognize you anymore."

"What can I say? Jase _is_ very persuasive."

"No doubt about that." Winking at her cousin's husband, she grabbed her cup of freshly brewed coffee and took a few sips. "It's a miracle he managed to convince you of the benefits of meat before you adopted Damian. I don't think he would have survived ingesting only fruits and vegetables."

"Saved by my brother, actually. If Mom hadn't gotten pregnant with Cam, Dad wouldn't have been able to change her eating habits. She can be so stubborn at times." Fox glanced at his wife.

"Not the only one I know. Must be a trait which runs in the Lopez family."

"Funny. Yet, I don't think we're related." At Elizabeth's witted reply, everyone roared in laughter.

"The lady has got you there, little bro."

"Gee, thanks Fance."

"You have to admit she's right. You too are stubborn."

"When needed."

"You see, right there. You just won't let me have the last word, will you?"

"That's the beauty of our dysfunctional sibling relationship." Fancy shook her head softly. Her brother would never change, not that she wanted him to. She loved him just the way he was.

"Where is Grampy?" she asked, turning toward Theresa.

"In the library. Mumbled something about a call he had to make. If the sparkles I saw in his eyes are any indication, it must have something to do with our plan."

"Indeed, it does but only Damian is concerned. I was just making sure Daniel and Gregory have properly furnished his brand new office at Crane Industries." explained Alistair, walking back in the living room next to his grandson. "The one in between yours and Theresa's."

"New executive?"

"Not exactly. That will be his cover."

"And his real job?"

"Private investigator." Raising an eyebrow, Fox stared at the teenager. The latter sheepishly smiled.

"I'm quite good at doing researches on the net and hacking my way to valuable information."

"So, you'll be finding dirt on our enemies?"

"I'll do my best."

"There is no doubt in my mind he will succeed. He did breach into the company's computer system in less than thirty minutes after all."

"What? But…at least three hundred experts tried…"

"…for months without any positive result, yes. That's exactly why I chose Damian, Fox. His skills are remarkable, _unique_. They'll be put to good use for our revenge."

"I feel he's going to be one formidable ally."

"Likewise." Elizabeth clapped her hands.

"Okay. Now that we have my son's function established, why don't you and Theresa tell us exactly what you have in mind regarding that plan of yours?"

"That's for her to decide whether she wants you to know about it or not." Turning her head expectantly at her cousin, Liz waited.

"Well…despite few last-minute changes, we essentially want to unleash hell on my two worst enemies; Gwen and Rebecca Hotchkiss. Along with them, anyone who ever helped them cross me in the past will find themselves in hot water."

"Last-minute changes?"

"Yes, Alistair. I've decided to leave out Ethan for the time being."

"Why?"

"Because something happened to him. Something good. First, he's decided to return primary custody of Jane over to me. Second, he's also decided to have my parental rights to Little Ethan reinstated. And third, he will ensure that we have shared custody of both."

"Hollow statements. The man would do anything to get back in your good graces."

"I don't think so. Ken Howard confirmed to me earlier they'd been in contact and that the papers were ready. They will be delivered to my office first thing Monday morning so Ethan can sign them."

"Saying so and actually going through with it are two distinct things. For all we know, he could backpedal at the very last second."

"He won't."

"And what makes you so sure, Theresa?"

"You see, before dinner, Fox and I had a little chat and he convinced me to take a little precaution. We had Ken add a safety clause to the papers just in case. Either he signs them or he automatically loses custody of Jane." Spinelli smirked, amused.

"A very clever trick."

"I agree." added Alistair. "A rather spectacular way to strong-arm him into doing your bidding. I'm proud."

"Theresa knows how to make a good use of the family's power. She truly was born to be a Crane."

"Indeed, she was."

"Beside Gwen and Rebecca, who else do you have to deal with?" Jason asked.

"Whitney Russell, whom I thought to be my best friend for years, firstly. Her mother as well."

"Dr. Russell?"

"Yes. Despite her claims of loyalty toward Mama and our family, she's sided with Gwen more times that I can count. Furthermore, she's the one who wrote the expertise report on the supposed drug interaction which caused the blonde bitch to stab me with a scalpel in the back nearly a year ago. Since it has been proven to be a false, I can only deduce that she did it on purpose or was blackmailed into. Either way, for me, she's good for the wolves." Alistair chuckled.

"I see. The hospital board meeting on Monday afternoon will be interesting, assuming you want to get payback then."

"I most definitely will. However, Damian's help is required. Since I've lost all faith in Eve's medical capabilities, can I really trust the truthfulness of everything she ever said to me? No. I mean, what if Little Ethan is not Julian's son but really Ethan's? It's unlikely but who knows?"

"Oh my God!" Fancy exclaimed, startling everyone. "Jane!" Fox looked at his sister, puzzled.

"What about her?"

"Dr. Russell is the one who did the DNA tests on the fetuses after Theresa had the removal procedure, didn't she?"

"Yes..."

"From what you told me in the letter you sent me after it was done, only the maternity was determined, right?"

"Yes." Fox looked from his sister to his wife. "Are you insinuating that Gab…Jane might be Gwen's after all?"

"No, silly! She looks too much like Theresa for that. Her mouth, her ears and even her chocolate-brown eyes are all her. But her hair…her _blonde_ hair and her nose…they're all _yours_. When we were on the terrace this afternoon, I couldn't help but think of how much she looks like you too."

"It's impossible. Fancy, I hadn't slept with Theresa around the time she was conceived."

"According to you, she was born prematurely. How many weeks?"

"Twenty-six."

"Gestational or from last menstrual period?"

"Gestational. Why?"

"Well, judging from the picture you sent me after she was born, I have good reasons to believe you're her father, little brother. First of all, twenty-six gestational week newborns are much smaller than Jane was and rarely, if not never, survive. Second, stemming from that tad bit of information as well as you saying she was the strongest of the two fetuses, it leads me to believe she was conceived earlier." Turning to her sister-in-law, Fancy continued in nurse mode. "Theresa, you said you thought the implantation hadn't taken?"

"Yes. I had noticed blood two or three days after."

"What kind of bleeding was it? Light or strong?"

"Light."

"Okay. Then, you decided to sleep with Ethan, hoping you'd get pregnant so he and Gwen would believe the implantation had been successful."

"Yes."

"When?"

"A week after the bleeding."

"Prior to the implantation, had you taken any hormones which would prepare your utero to receive the embryos?"

"No. I hadn't thought of that. The only thing I was focused on was getting pregnant with the Winthrop child and getting my son back." Fox was confused by his sister's questioning. To him, it wasn't purposeful.

"What are you getting at Fance?"

"What was the date of the Blue Note Charity Fundraiser Soirée last year?"

"May 20th. Like every year."

"The date of the implantation?"

"June 2nd."

"And the date of the Founder's Day Dance?"

"June 10th. So?"

"So? You and Theresa made love on the night of the Blue Note Charity Fundraiser Soirée. Twelve days before the implantation procedure and two weeks from when Theresa bled. A fertilized egg takes…"

"…up to sixteen days before reaching the utero and attaching itself to its membrane." Elizabeth finished, catching on to what Fancy was trying to say. "By doing so, light bleeding can occur. Exactly what happened to your wife. That's why she thought the implantation didn't take. She was _already_ pregnant."

"It did take though, or else, how do you explain the twin, Liz?"

"You did say you couldn't undergo a cesarean to save both babies, right Resa? Because one was significantly weaker than the other."

"Yes."

"If I calculate everything right from Fancy's assumption Jane is yours, at the moment of the medical abortion, she was right smack at twenty-six weeks. The boy would have been at twenty-three weeks. Too early to even bother saving."

"Therefore, we can all agree he was likely conceived when Theresa slept with Ethan." Alistair watched as his granddaughter-in-law and grandson's jaws dropped in shock. He, himself was impressed. He hadn't expected Fancy to conclude to the truth so fast.

_Clap. Clap. Clap._

"Bravo, Fancy. Detective extraordinaire. You've pinpointed the very truth." Fox found his voice again.

"It's true? All of it?"

"Yes, Fox. The intuition had been nagging me for a while so I had a secret DNA test done on her. Got the results back shortly before dinner. Jane _is_ your daughter."

"And Nathan?" Spin cleared his throat.

"Your sister rightfully guessed. I was able to hack into the Harmony Hospital database this afternoon and found the original file pertaining to the fetuses' parentage. There were two saves made on two different days. The older save, the true one, confirms everything that has been said here. The second save had been tampered with to show Mrs. Winthrop as the boy's mother and Theresa as Jane's." Fresh tears welled up in Theresa's eyes as she realized what it meant. Both babies had been _hers_. Nathan had been her son… Feeling her distress, Alistair put his hand on her shoulder.

"I know it's a lot to take in. Yet, I see this as one more proof against Eve's duplicity. Explosive and destructive enough to cost her plenty."

"It will." determinedly whispered Theresa through clenched teeth. Across from her, Fancy smiled.

"Foxy is a father. I can hardly believe it."

"You and I both, sissy. I was so surprised when she called me 'dada' this afternoon. Surprised and proud."

"Crane cleverness. She knew."

"She's not even one year old yet."

"It doesn't matter. She must have sensed it."

"So…" Spinelli cut in. "…any other targets?"

"JT Cornell. He was the editor of the Daily Private Lives, the tabloid who ran the story of Ethan being Sam Bennett's son, which I was framed for. I've dropped by their office this morning and, unsurprisingly, he's magically vanished without a trace."

"Knowing what kind of slime he is, he surely left something behind that we could trace him with. I'll send men to his apartment and at the places he used to visit regularly. If anything comes up, we'll start from there."

"Thank you, Alistair. I think it'd be wise to keep an eye on Bruce also."

"As in Bruce Hensworth? The bastard who tricked you and Father for months by making you two believe you'd really gotten married? The son-of-a-bitch who exposed the whole thing as a joke at the worst moment ever?"

"Yes, Fancy. That man exactly. I know he's been getting cozy with Rebecca lately and we all know why she could take an interest in him. He's…"

"…lower than dust under our feet."

"Maybe so, Honey. But the Hensworth family is well known in the state of New York. They hold some prestige, power and have money. Everything the red-haired wicked witch could possibly want to protect herself and her poisonous daughter."

"Very well. I'll appoint some spies on him."

"Good. For now, we concentrate on knocking Eve Russell off her pedestal and getting Elizabeth the Nurse Supervisor job at the next hospital board meeting."

"What about Ethan?" Liz asked. "I mean, now that we know Fox is Jane's father, you'll surely get her back, won't you?" Fox answered before Theresa could.

"No. But I know of a way we could use that knowledge to our advantage."

"Please explain."

"We trick Ethan into returning Little Ethan permanently with the safety clause in Gabr…Jane's custody papers. I'm sure Ken can arrange for the new clause to be almost similar to a real one but make the changes without dear old half-bro finding out. Besides, I don't think Ethan will think twice about reading the papers since he basically has worshipped Ken since Harvard."

"That's illegal." Spin pointed out.

"And you care?" The younger man's silence was answer enough. Alistair crossed his arms, profusely amused.

"Using the law against the lawyer. Proves you not only to be as clever as your wife but also shrewd, Fox. I like that. You remind me of myself."

"But what if you were to find out Little Ethan is Ethan's son? That clause would be null and void because of the biological link between them." stated Liz.

"I've given it some thoughts as well. And no, it would still be valid because he and Gwen adopted the boy after Father signed his paternal rights over to him."

"I don't follow."

"Should Ethan be the _real_ father, it'll invalidate their adoption on the spot. And by signing the new clause, he will turn his rights over to _me_. I will have obtained his consent to rightfully adopt Little Ethan which I can guarantee I'll do should it turn out to be true."

"So, either way, he'll be screwed."

"Precisely. That's why I say we wait before getting Gab…Jane back. Our priority should be to punish Eve and track down Cornell." Spinelli turned his attention to Theresa.

"Alistair also talked to me about some searches you want made, auntie."

"Which are?"

"Beside the tabloid issue and Ethan Martin's true paternity, namely who tried to kill Julian in 2001 and indirectly where the confessing tape you received came from. I will also be researching the events that truly took place in Los Angeles. Yet, I won't restrict my searches to these. Anything else I might find will be included, as collateral damage."

"Good. The lower we'll knock our enemies down, the better it'll be."

* * *

Later that night, Ethan sat on the couch of his living room, going over the papers Ken had faxed him earlier. The adoption invalidation papers that, once filed, permanently severed the hold the wicked witch sleeping in his bed upstairs claimed she had to his godson. He chuckled lightly at how easy it had been to trick Gwen into signing them. One little lie about needing her signature pertaining to the final payment on the house and she'd blindly traced her name on the legal paper, not even taking the time to check out the first page.

Foolish woman.

Sure, she _was_ a blonde. But her self-assurance was way too high for her own sake. The incredible amount of trust she had in him would also prove to be very useful in the future.

Flipping over his cellphone, he went through his contact list and pressed 'Dial'.

"Welcome to Slater, Wyndham and Howard Law Firm. If you know the extension of the lawyer you're trying to reach, please enter it now. If not, your call will be transferred to the reception." Typing the number he'd memorized by heart, Ethan waited several seconds.

"Ken Howard."

"Ethan Winthrop. The adoption invalidation papers have been signed."

"Already? Impressive."

"What can I say? Gwen is gullible. Your falsifications also helped."

"Excellent. I managed to contact Judge Roberts' secretary earlier myself. We have an appointment Thursday at 2 in the afternoon. I trust you'll be there."

"Of course."

"Great. In the meantime, I'd like to meet you at my office tomorrow morning. At eleven if it's possible. I'd take the page your wife signed and implement it in the AT request then. We could also work out the details of your divorce request."

"Good idea. The sooner I can get that done, the better although my first priorities are the new custody agreements."

"Very well. I'll see you in twelve hours, Mr. Winthrop." Ending the call, Ethan threw his cellphone in his briefcase and allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. He knew the weeks to come would be hellish, especially with Gwen inevitably finding out custody of the children would be returned to Theresa primarily and their adoption of the boy invalidated due to his mother getting her parental rights reinstated. _Don't forget the divorce, Ethan. She'll flip out about that one._

Truth be told, he still couldn't believe he was going to ask for a divorce. Even less that Ken Howard, the very man he'd worshipped for most of his young adult years, would be the one handling it. Despite his utmost reverence of the sanctity of marriage and his 'archaic' beliefs that it should never be broken other than by death itself, he knew deep down it was the right thing to do for him. His father's words echoed in his mind.

"_Whatever you decide, all I ask is that you listen to your heart this time around and let it lead you. It won't steer you wrong."_

_

* * *

__PLEASE, REVIEW. IT'S HELPING MY MUSE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS_


	17. Bitter taste

_**Bitter taste**_

_Author's note: I want to thank all my reviewers because you truly are one of my sources of inspiration for writing this fic, which happens to be the hardest I've ever dealt with so far. I've been caught off-guard by writer's blocks at every turn and your appreciation of this work is what keeps me going. Of course, my muse has been running in every direction, trying to get away. Fortunately, I've been able to catch it so far so all is good. _

_Now, regarding future spoilers. I know I have made a habit of always giving some to you at the end of every chapter. However, it seems my characters are manifesting their free-wills whenever they want nowadays. Because of that, I have decided to strike back and stop giving you any indication as to what's going to happen next. That way, I will not be taken by surprise anymore by my rather awesome cast. I hope your interest won't waver because of my decision._

_Also, I know I might ask a lot but I'd like to see more than 'please update soon' in your reviews. Tell me what you think of the events you just read about. What surprised you, whom you're cheering on, what you disagree with… Just to give me an idea. Thanks!_

**Crane Mansion terrace, around 7 AM**

"Good morning."

Elizabeth lifted her head from the newspaper and nearly choked on the sip of milk she'd just taken at the sight before her.

"My! Where is my son and what have you done to him?" At that, Spinelli adjusted his tie and rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny Mom."

"The chance of me ever seeing you in a tailored business suit, a D&G original no less, never crossed my mind. Until this very moment, that is."

"There's a first time for everything they say."

"True."

"Time for breakfast. I'm starving." Taking three sharp intakes of breath, he smelled the delicious food spread out on the refrigerated table before him. His stomach growled and saliva rushed in his mouth as the smell of perfectly baked cinnamon rolls and almond-flavored bread assaulted his nose. Those were his absolute favorites. Ever since his girlfriend Nadine Cromwell, a student nurse at General Hospital, had introduced him to the latter, he'd been harassing his parents to get some each week in vain. Taking a plate, he got some along with two crescents. Eyeing from afar, Liz repressed an amused sigh.

"Don't forget to take fruits. They're delicious."

"I'll take a glass of orange juice and bring an apple to the office."

"It's not nearly enough. The Health Guide recommends..."

"...8 to 10 portions of fruits and vegetables per day, I know." the young man finished, by heart. Having a nurse for a mother, obsessed with healthy eating habits at that, tended to be irritating at times but he gladly dealt with it on an everyday basis. After all, he couldn't have hoped for better adoptive parents. "How about I add some watermelon dices, a dozen strawberries and two slices of cantaloupe?"

"Much better." Sending her a warm smile, Damien made his way to the dining table and sat down.

"Where's Dad?"

"On the courts. Fox was in the mood for some tennis and since your father wants to know the town better before starting his morning jogs, he jumped on the occasion."

"Unsurprisingly. He'll take every sports activity opportunity to come his way."

"Yes. Anything to keep him in shape."

"He'll be happy that I got him a subscription to the Pro-Gym sports center then. I got one for me too as to keep the Saturday mornings 'Father-son time' tradition alive."

"That's very thoughtful. He will appreciate, no doubt."

"Whom will appreciate what?" asked Theresa, stepping on the terrace with a hot cup of mint tea and sitting down next to Elizabeth. One look at Damien and she whistled. "Atta-boy, Lizzie. Who is this handsome young man we have here?"

"Probably the town's next heartbreaker. Don't you agree?"

"Indubitably. Nice suit, by the way. Dolce & Gabbana... I'm impressed."

"Good morning to you too, Tia, and thanks." replied Spinelli, sipping his orange juice. "I thought that if I had to buy professional clothes, why not opt for the best they had at Nordstrom in Manhattan."

"Manhattan?"

"Yes. My girlfriend Nadine had the weekend off and wanted to go see her parents. They live there so since I had to do some shopping, I asked her to help me out."

"Two birds with one stone."

"Yes and Nordstrom is her favorite store. Her knack for fashion got me these clothes along with some Hugo Boss, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Indochino suits."

"That girl is a golden pearl. I'm going to love her."

"She's a rather huge fan of Crane Couture and Crane Jewels. I'm sure she will return the sentiment."

"If she needs a job, I want you to tell me right away. I would love having her as my first assistant. Lord knows I need one whom truly is competent and shares my love of fashion."

"Should she ever change her mind about becoming a nurse, I will."

"Another potential fashionista lost to medical studies. What is the world coming to?"

"Not everybody has your fearless courage and bravery when it comes to the fashion world's rather harsh and merciless criticism, Resa. Besides, having the backup from one of the richest families in the world surely helps."

"Yes, it does. I won't deny that. But I did not always have it and had to work my butt off to get where I am right now. Still, the long and arduous path to success was well worth it."

"Nadine would agree. After all, she went into the nursing field mainly to please her late paternal grandmother whom was a nurse herself. I know she likes being able to help others recover their health but I can tell it is not as fulfilling as she would like it to be. Her childhood dream was to work in the fashion industry, be it a designer herself or working with one." He finished his second cinnamon roll before continuing. "I could talk to her about what you said, Tia. Who knows? Maybe she could be interested."

"I don't think Epiphany would be very happy to lose yet another one of her employees."

"Oh please, Mom! Student nurses come a plenty! One less isn't going to shut down General Hospital."

"Still…"

"Would you rather see a young woman with terrific potential waste away her talent in a job that she will probably come to resent or see her do what she likes and blossom?" The question left Liz speechless. "That's what I thought." Theresa stole a strawberry from Spinelli's plate and stared at them in amusement.

"Damien, 1. Lizzie, 0." Two cobalt blue eyes bore holes into her. Chuckling lightly, she munched on the fruit. "I still haven't gotten my answer."

"Huh?" Liz was momentarily lost.

"When I stepped in, I heard you say and I quote 'He will appreciate, no doubt'. What was that about?"

"Oh! That. Well, I was telling Mom I got subscriptions at the Pro-Gym sports center for me and Dad."

"Yes. After Cameron was born, Jase and he started to spend Saturday mornings together at the gym. You know how crazy my husband is about staying in shape." Elizabeth explained, emptying her glass of milk.

"Oh yes. Fox is like that too. If he doesn't get at least an hour of sports each day, he'll go stir-crazy."

"Well, this 'father-son time' kinda became a 'tradition' and just because we're moving here, Spin refused to scrap it."

"I see. Commendable."

"Do you think it'll be doable?" Theresa smiled at her cousin's genuine concern.

"Well, though Damien will definitely be a little busier here than he was in Port Charles, I'm certain he'll find a way to take the time out of his schedule. We're not gluttons for work, you know. We do have a social life outside of it. Besides, there's no way Fancy will let us go without a girls night out at least every two weeks."

"Is that so?"

"From the little I learned about my sister-in-law this weekend, definitely." Acknowledging newly arrived Fox, Elizabeth kissed Jason whom had just evidently showered judging from the wetness of his hair before they both made their way to the food table.

"Had a good time on the courts?"

"Found out I'm not that bad of a tennis player." At that, the Crane Heir playfully scoffed.

"Not that bad? Who do you think you're kidding, Morgan? You very nearly owned me back there. If it hadn't been of my excellently executed smash at the end of the set, I would have lost."

"Beginner's luck?" Jason suggested, with a coy smile.

"Huh huh. You must have been a pro in a previous life because it's in your blood. You could play professional, man. A new Rafael Nadal for sure." At that, Liz raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with her cousin.

"Rafael Nadal, heh? Isn't he the young Spanish cutie who was declared promising enough to be compared to Rodger Federer in 2003?"

"Yes. He's won the French Open, defeated Andre Agassi in the finals of this year's Canada Masters and will highly probably receive the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year award." To say Fox was surprised by the women's knowledge was an understatement.

"Our wives are tennis freaks Jase…" Theresa extended her arm and smacked his butt.

"We're NOT freaks. We just like our tennis fill once in a while. Besides, that Nadal is gorgeous. Isn't that right, Liz?"

"Exactly." Rolling his eyes, Jason walked to the dining table and sat down in between his wife and son, a plate full of strawberries on one side and with two cinnamon rolls on the other.

"Could you bring the pitcher of orange juice, Fox? I'm sure Jase wants some and Spinelli would like some more."

"Sure. Resa, do you want kiwis and apples?"

"With cantaloupe slices and watermelon dices, please. I don't think my stomach would support anything else."

"Morning sickness?" Theresa nodded to her cousin, still munching on the strawberry she'd stolen from Spinelli's now nearly empty plate.

"I haven't craved for anything other than fruits lately. Not that I don't like bread, meat or eggs but just one close whiff of those in the morning and the gag feeling manifests itself full force. As long the odors don't get all over me and overwhelm my sense of smell, I will be fine."

"That's one picky baby you're having. I ate absolutely anything when I was expecting."

"To each pregnant woman her own aversions."

"You say it, girl." Spinelli glanced at his new golden Rolex watch, a gift from Nadine, and stretched.

"I better get going. The Great Patriarch is supposed to introduce me as the new executive in less than an hour and I haven't even seen my office yet."

"Dressed like you are, I'm sure not a single employee will doubt your cover." Fox said, sitting down next to his wife with two plates. Turning around, he grabbed the pitcher of juice and gave it to Jason.

"What's with this suit that has everyone commenting on it? Isn't it appropriate enough?" Exasperation was clear in the young man's voice.

"No, it definitely is. Only, I just didn't expect you to go all the way in the clothes department. Nor that you would have an impeccable taste. Employees don't go for high-caliber designers normally."

"Ah. Well, I happen to have one exceptionally fashion taste-gifted girlfriend because she's the one who found this suit and the others I bought."

"I sense my wife has a potential first assistant in her nearby future."

"We'll see about that." Theresa replied. "See you later, Damien." Once he was gone, silence fell on the group as they ate their breakfast. Liz was the one who broke it.

"So… What's today's program?"

"Fox will go to Crane Industries with Jason and they will attend the weekly security staff meeting. That will introduce your hubby to his colleagues. As for me, I do have some paperwork to fill pertaining to Crane Fashions and a meeting with the designing department for our upcoming spring line. Ethan is also supposed to come by around ten thirty to sign the new custody papers. After that is done, I have a conference call with Kate Howard but that shouldn't take more than forty-five minutes to wrap up. Therefore, you can join me at the 'Carlito' around noon. It's part of the building and I made a reservation for the two of us under my name. Afterwards, we'll head to the hospital and shake things up with the administration board. If everything goes according to plan, you'll be our new Nurse Supervisor by the end of the afternoon."

"Okay. And if what you have planned hits a snag?"

"I'll deal with it so no matter what happens, you get the job. Don't you worry, Elizabeth. I have more than one ace up my sleeve. No one, absolutely _no one_, whose opinion matters on the board will refuse your nomination." Fox noted the fierce look in Theresa's eyes and chuckled.

"This is one board meeting I do _not_ want to miss."

* * *

**Crane Industries**

**10:25 AM**

Theresa's meeting with the designing staff of Crane Fashions had gone over smoothly and left her enough time to have her conference call with the editor of Couture earlier than planned. But for nearly an hour now, her secretary had been calling every fifteen minutes to inform her Sebastian Priestley, whom had missed the meeting because of a medical appointment, insisted on seeing her. Unable to focus on the paperwork she'd talked to Elizabeth about at breakfast, she threw her pen down in frustration and pressed the button of her intercom, deciding that dealing with the young man now would be wise. With the rather eventful afternoon ahead, she didn't need to have this on her mind too.

"Send him in, Elaine."

"Very well, Mrs. Crane." Gathering the contracts she'd been reviewing together, she carefully put them in her desk's lockable bottom drawer. No one, apart from her and Fox, had a key. Alistair had been pleasantly surprised when he'd learned they shared that same habit of putting important documents under locks. _There are plenty of sharks in the business world. Being careful is our first priority. Keep them away from your paperwork and you'll always be on top._ Crossing her arms, she watched as the son of Runway's editor-in-chief Miranda Priestley entered and made his way to her desk.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but…"

"Please, Sebastian! I know you're far from sorry so sit down and tell me why you've spent the last hour harassing my secretary to see me for." Taken aback by her hard tone, the black-haired man did as he was told.

"I went over the review of this morning's meeting and I was aghast to find out you'd appointed Penelope Darcy in charge of the accessories and handbags."

"Indeed, I have."

"I don't agree with you."

"Really! How so?"

"With all due respect, Mrs. Crane, I've always been in charge of that portion of our annual 'Go Green' spring line ever since Crane Fashions was created three years ago. I refuse to be cast aside, especially not in favor of a _middle-class_ newcomer who couldn't possibly pull it off." Raising an eyebrow, Theresa felt her temper flare. It was one thing to disagree with her but to openly take a jab at a colleague's modest social status… She'd been on the receiving end of such comments before and would not tolerate it.

"She might have been born in the 'lower sphere' like you imply but she's got plenty of amazing talent to make up for it."

"Maybe so but she doesn't have the standard pedigree to back her up. Her family name doesn't have nearly enough media publicity to ensure sales nationwide, even less worldwide. It would crush the line's profitability. On the other hand, buyers know me. They know and trust the name Priestley; its value. I've been in the fashion industry long enough to gather a stable clientele and my mother is an icon of the magazine world. You can't ignore it and withdraw me from the spot."

"I know full well Miranda's reputation and what it entails. However, I firmly believe Penny deserves the chance I'm giving her. Her sketches fully met the new requirements I established for the collection this year. They are fresh, colorful and environment-friendly whereas yours not only lacked in style but in originality as well. It was a no-brainer, Sebastian. I would also be glad if you kept your egoistic, socially-biased opinion to yourself because it doesn't matter to me."

"So there is no way I can make you change your mind?"

"No. The decision is final so you can either suck it up and deal with it or hand me your resignation and don't let the door hit you on your way home. I've had it with you and your constant objections." That took the twenty-six year old by surprise.

"I'm just trying to help." he defensively replied.

"No, you're using your last name and who your mother is as trump cards to boost your colossal ego and to try to justify the unwelcome inputs you've forced upon everyone's work. You think you're so important because you have experience and come from a high circle family. Well, newsflash. You are an employee, equal to everyone else. I told you when you applied for this job that no special treatment would be given to you."

"And I understood that."

"Did you? Because it hasn't stopped you from being an insensitive jerk to your colleagues and a pain in my butt regarding every decision I've taken. You know what I find ironic? Out of respect for Miranda, I've disregarded the negative comments your two previous employers told me of you and your insolence when I checked your references after your interview because I had seen your talent and thought you'd straighten yourself out within the professional atmosphere of Crane Fashions. I thought you would come to see the draw lines and learn not to cross them. I guess it was just too much to expect after all."

"I…"

"Anyhow, I'm tired to dealing with your problematic behavior and I put a stop to it _now_. I'm giving you an ultimatum. Either you stay and start acting as a professional whom knows and respects his rank or you leave. Just know that if you choose the latter, you can kiss any positive recommendation and reference goodbye. You decide."

"My mother would never stand for this." His reply was smug and rubbed Theresa the wrong way.

"Want to try me? I have Miranda on speed dial. I could inform her of my reasons for firing you and I can pretty much confirm you she'd understand. She's dealt with people like you before herself." She stared at Sebastian and knew just from his fallen expression that he'd realized she wasn't bluffing. "So, what is it going to be?"

"Alright. I'll abide by your choice."

"Wise decision. Now, I suggest you get back to work. You might not be part of the 'Go Green' spring line designers but you can start drawing earrings, necklaces and bracelets sketches for our new Valentine's Day 'Amor de Vida' upcoming collection. Heidi is pulling out due to her father's deteriorating health. She'll be taking a four-month absence so if they catch my eyes, you might be part of that designing team."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Sebastian…" she said, pouring herself a glass of water as he proceeded to leave "I have a rather large pile of applications coming from aspiring designers whom would love and are ready to take your place. So, one more misstep and you're out. I won't repeat myself." The black-haired man nodded and exited the office. She'd barely started to drink when Elaine opened the door.

"Mrs. Crane, Mr. Winthrop has just called to say he will be down in a few minutes. Do you want me to let him in as soon as he arrives?"

"Actually, no. I need to take a breather so call him back and let him know I will go instead. While I'm gone, reroute the calls for Fashions to my two assistants' office. They'll take those messages. Just take care of the rest."

"Very well." Grabbing her cellphone, she text-messaged Fox to let him know the meeting with Ethan would take place in the latter's office rather than her own. Then, she walked to the nearby elevator and called Elizabeth.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Liz. It's me. I just wanted to let you know I'll be available for lunch earlier. My meeting with the designing staff went over more swiftly than expected so I was able to have my conference call with Kate before nine thirty. I'm currently on my way up to see Ethan about Little Ethan and Jane's custodies which shouldn't take more than an hour. Can you make it for eleven fifteen?"

"Sure. I just have to call Jason's mother to see how Cameron is doing and schedule an appointment at the dentist for me beforehand. One of my wisdom teeth has been sporadically hurting for a while. I want to have it checked out. Just in case."

"Good thinking. You never know. Also, I assume Phyllis brought you the new ensemble I picked up for you after breakfast."

"She did but you didn't need to get me new clothes."

"I want you to look your best for the board. Some of the elder members are very pernickety about the way candidates dress. Besides, I'm fairly sure you didn't have enough time to have half of your wardrobe shipped from Port Charles."

"Still, a Theresa Crane original ensemble… Don't you think you went a little overboard?"

"You deserve the best."

"Hmmhmm. Sure. Whatever you say."

"Mixed with my rich purple-gemmed golden 'Tiffany' necklace and the assorted earrings, you'd be all set. I'll call Phyllis and ask her to bring them over after we hang up."

"Resa!"

"I insist Lizzie."

"Ughh… I'll make you a deal. You forget about the jewels and I will allow you to come with me and shop for a new wardrobe. How is that?"

"Wherever I want?"

"As long as I still have a little say in the choices."

"You got yourself a deal, Mrs. Morgan."

"Alright. I'll see you in a little while."

"Sure thing." Hanging up, Theresa stepped out of the elevator which had brought her to the sixth level and walked down the hall to the Crane Industries Lawyer Department where her husband was waiting for her. Mrs. Durden, an elderly white-haired long-time secretary, greeted her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Crane."

"Hello Alice. That new haircut of yours is very lovely."

"Oh, thank you, my dear. My granddaughter Sabine is a hairstylist in Roxbury and she offered me a change when she visited last week."

"She is talented, no doubt. I'm sure you enjoy having it shorter."

"That, I do."

"Is Mr. Winthrop still in his office?" asked Fox, wanting the meeting to be over already.

"Yes. I'll announce you."

"There's no need for that. He'll be expecting us." Making their way three doors east of the reception area, both were surprised to find their lawyer discussing some request with Ethan. Theresa cleared her throat to make her and Fox's presence known.

"Fox, Theresa!" Ethan exclaimed, frowning. "What are you doing here? Ken and I were just about to go down."

"Elaine didn't call you back like I told her, did she?"

"No… Why?"

"I decided to take a breather so instead of waiting for you, Fox and I opted to come up and deal with the custodies issue here."

"Crappy morning?"

"Until fifteen minutes ago, everything was going just fine."

"Then someone provoked Hurricane Theresa." The couple sat down next to Ken and Resa eyed Ethan suspiciously.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Well, your cheeks are rosy and your movements are stiff. Unmistakable signs. So, what happened?"

"Same old, same old."

"But we're not here to talk about that now, are we?" Fox abruptly interjected, glancing at his watch. "Why don't we get this done quickly? My wife and I have busy schedules today and we don't want to miss our lunch dates." Ken nodded, opening his briefcase and grabbing a file.

"Very well. Theresa, would you hand me the custody papers?"

"Sure. Here."

"Now, before Mr. Winthrop signs them, let's review their content. We'll start with Jane. Custody status changes from 'fatherly exclusive' to 'shared'. However, Mrs. Crane retains primary and physical guardianship of the child. Henceforth, any decisions pertaining to her health and education rest with her. Due to the aforementioned statement, medical issues need to be addressed with Mrs. Crane, whom needs to be warned whenever a note is added to the little girl's medical file. That portion has been agreed upon by everybody. Three other portions need to be discussed though, namely, the living arrangements schedule, financial contribution from the non-guardian parent and the safety clause."

"Theresa and I already agreed upon the first part. Jane will get two weeks with me each month."

"That was before she talked to me about it and changed her mind." Ethan glared at his half-brother.

"You do not have a say in this, Fox."

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Winthrop, as Jane's stepfather, Mr. Crane does." Frowning, Ethan was puzzled.

"I don't understand."

"_In loco parentis_. For several months, and even before the child was born, Mr. Crane has cared for her like a father. That renders valid the aforementioned notion which essentially grants either the mother's husband or father's wife rightful input in custodial decisions." Fox smirked mockingly.

"Let's not wonder why you didn't go for Family Law." Ignoring the jab, Ethan eyed Theresa.

"So?"

"One week each month. Plus a weekend."

"Not enough."

"Considering how crazy your wife still is, she could rip the offer from the table and leave you with only supervised visitations." The aggressiveness in Fox's tone exasperated Ivy's oldest son.

"What _is_ your problem?"

"Believe me when I say you don't want to get into it. Not now."

"You shouldn't even have come. This is between me and Theresa and our children."

"I came here because I want to protect my wife and stepchildren's interests, offering them my full support. As for Jane, there's no way _in hell_ she will be exposed to Gwen's whacky 'mommy dearest' act more than she needs to. Hence why Theresa is lowering the amount of time she wants her daughter to spend at your place."

"Ethan, you said it yourself. Gwen's mental recovery isn't going as good and swift as you thought."

"Still, she is healing."

"Maybe. But the simple fear she could relapse at any moment… I can't risk a repetition of what happened after she was born."

"When I said shared custody, Theresa, I meant for Jane to spend equal time with each one of us."

"I haven't said you can't visit her at the Mansion. You'll be welcomed to do so as often as you want as long as Gwen is not with you. I just want to protect my daughter."

"Okay." Ken scribbled down the new living arrangements.

"Perfect. As for the financial contribution, since Mrs. Crane is the primary guardian, it rests with Mr. Winthrop. What is your offer?"

"Ethan doesn't need to contribute. I can provide for her just fine."

"It is standard procedure for the non-guardian parent to pay a certain amount per month, Theresa." Ken said, sending a warm smile her way.

"Can't we make an exception?"

"Because of high salary, unfortunately no."

"I will put $2,000 per month into an account for her education and leave everything else to you and Fox, apart from gifts. How does that sound?"

"Fair enough."

"Finally, the safety clause has been added by Mrs. Crane. A breach of this custodial agreement, from any party involved– and that includes your wife, Mr. Winthrop - , will automatically ensure a remote party – in this case, Mr. Fox Crane - gains full custody of the child."

"That's preposterous!"

"Ethan. It isn't called a _safety_ clause for nothing." Fox interjected, rolling his eyes.

"In case of a breach, the Law states…"

"…that a parent's spouse or family member is best indicated as a remote party. As Jane's stepfather and half-uncle, I fill both roles. And I'm the fittest to raise her unless you think Gwen is?" Ken watched in amusement as Fox pushed his half-brother's buttons perfectly and the latter immediately backed down.

"I'm not saying that. But seeing as you're impartial, I think Mother or even my father Sam should have been appointed as such instead of you."

"Impartial, my butt! I just don't trust you. I know how you proceed, remember? First, you bait Theresa with your sweet talk then you end up going for the kill. It won't happen this time. And we talked to Mother about taking up the remote party role. She refused. As for Sam, I have nothing against the Chief of Police but I'm sure he has enough on his plate with work without adding to that." Ethan turned his attention to Ken.

"Two witness signatures, besides mine and Theresa's, also need to figure on the document to approve that choice, right?"

"Indeed and it has also been approved by the two witnesses chosen by Mrs. Crane."

"Whom are?"

"Mrs. Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald and Mrs. Ivy Crane."

"Oh."

"Yeah." replied Fox, a smug expression on his face. "Or will you go against Pilar and Mother's wish?"

"No, that's fine."

"Didn't think so." Ethan threw him an ice-cold stare. Theresa put her left hand on her husband's forearm to inform him it was enough.

"Can't we continue, please? I'd like to end this meeting before eleven fifteen."

"Sure. About Little Ethan… I have filed a request to terminate Gwen's adoption of him and another to reinstate Theresa's parental rights so she also retains primary and physical guardianship. By doing so, the same conditions cited in Jane's request would apply regarding the medical and education issues. The only difference is my wish to remain co-guardian and that there are no safety clause."

"I'm afraid there's been a slight change of plans in regards to that as well."

"What?" all three exclaimed, taken off-guard by the thirty-three year old lawyer's statement. Ken plunged his right hand in his briefcase, grabbed an envelope, opened it and handed three copies of the content's second sheet to each.

"What you hold in your hands is a declaratory judgment from the Honorable Judge Tara Roberts. It explicitly states that Ethan Winthrop and Gwen Hotchkiss Winthrop's adoption of Ethan Martin Crane has been revoked at the request of the child's biological father, Julian Crane. Therefore, Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane's parental rights to her son are reinstated effective immediately. Full physical custody now rests with her, along with any decision pertaining to her son's life. Also effective immediately, the child's surname will be returned from Winthrop to Crane. As soon as all parties involved are informed of this judgment, Ethan Martin Crane's residence becomes the same as his mother's, hence the Crane Mansion, and he needs to resettle there within three days." That left Ethan both seething and speechless. In an instant, he had lost his godson whom he considered and had raised as his own son for the past seventeen months.

On the other side of the table, Fox and his wife kept staring at the copies they held in their hands. It was written black on white. Little Ethan was being returned, by _Julian_. Theresa flashed back to a conversation she'd had with her mother-in-law the previous evening.

_Unable to sleep, she had opted to go down in the kitchen and make herself chamomile tea. When the sandman wouldn't take her into dreamland, the hot beverage always helped her relax enough to duplicate the first's job._

_She'd been surprised to find Ivy awake so late. She was seated in the living room, looking at pictures in the latest family album Fancy had filled earlier in the day. Clearing her throat, she'd seen the other woman jump slightly._

"_Theresa!"_

"_I'm sorry. I didn't want to scare you."_

"_I just wasn't expecting anyone to still be up."_

"_I couldn't sleep so instead of twisting and turning in bed, I thought I'd come down and make some tea."_

"_Annmarie just left but Cook should still be there. He wanted to prepare cupcakes for the children. Surely, he'll be happy to make some."_

"_Want any?"_

"_I wouldn't say no. Might help me calm my nerves." Theresa had gone into the kitchen and politely asked the elder man if he would make the tea. Cook, whose real name was Frederic DuJardin, had patted her head and sent her back to the living room, saying he would be happy to bring her and Miss Ivy some as soon as it would be ready. Once seated, she'd eyed her mother-in-law, worried about what could make the elder woman so nervous._

"_What has gotten you so shaken up, Ivy?"_

"_I had a nightmare… about Gwen. She'd snapped and taken Jane on the road again."_

"_That's not going to happen. Fox and I will make sure of it."_

"_I know. But…I can't help it. She's so unpredictable."_

"_You'll be happy to know I've decided to lower the time she'll spend at Ethan's considerably, then."_

"_You have?" Ivy's blue eyes lit up._

"_Yes. From two full weeks down to 9 days per month. But I'll allow Ethan to visit her here anytime, as long as Gwen is not with him."_

"_That's very generous… considering he's not…" Theresa noted the innuendo._

"_Fancy told you."_

"_Yes. I was rather…surprised."_

"_Why is it that no one ever saw the father potential in Fox?"_

"_Well, before Whitney, he hadn't given us much glimpse of parenting skill. He'd always been the 'ever-so-devil-may-care' Crane boy."_

"_He'd changed. Way before _her_. I've always seen him very fatherly with Little Ethan. From even before Los Angeles, actually."_

"_I suppose so but I was way too involved into the Ethan dramafest to notice."_

"_True. Events between Gwen, him and I have taken a lot of your time away from your other children's lives."_

"_Don't feel so bad about that, Theresa. I've always given my oldest son a little too much attention as compared to Fox, Fancy and Pretty. But it was _my_ mistake, which I've seemingly made up for. And I have you to thank for that."_

"_Me?"_

"_Yes, you. You've still sent them cards every month since you quitted as my assistant, have you not?" Theresa felt her cheeks redden._

"_Guilty as charged."_

"_You didn't have to. Yet, you continued and because of that, my relationships with both Francesca and Ludovika have flourished. Without you, there is so much I wouldn't have right now, including my marriage. You're the one who made Julian and I see everything we loved in one another and realize the mistakes of our previous twenty-five years together. You showed us the potential we had and our inner strength."_

"_I didn't push you take the plunge into matrimony a second time."_

"_No, but under your positive influence, we took a leap of faith and it has turned out to be wonderful. Julian has become a faithful, loving husband while I have proven to be very capable and supportive, something I never thought possible."_

"_Please stop. You're making me out to be this shining star in your sky and I hate to be put on such high pedestals."_

"_Nonsense. You've done so much for this family that you've become its pillar. You've strengthen the bonds between me and my daughters, showed Julian to stand up for himself, made Fox a father… We owe you so much, Theresa. Such debt can only be returned and I am positively certain good things are coming your way."_

"_With Alistair in my camp, how could it not?" Laughing softly, Ivy went to sit beside her favorite daughter-in-law with the photo album._

"_He's rooting for you not because you're a Crane but due to your strength, perseverance and iron will. He sees in you many qualities he himself possesses. Both you and Fox share those traits with him. And he revels in that knowledge because he knows you both will be able to carry on the Crane business and image after he's gone. He's finally proud of the family he has and that's all thanks to you." Clearly flattered and a little uncomfortable, Theresa grabbed the album._

"_Why don't you show me the pictures you were looking at? Cook should be bringing the tea pretty soon."_

"That's what your mother meant…" Her words snapped him out of his daze.

"Uh?"

"Ivy and I talked late last night and she told me good things were surely coming my way. She must have known about this."

"Maybe." Ken grabbed another envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Theresa.

"This is a copy of a letter Mr. Crane wrote to Judge Roberts concerning the matter. It was included in the adoption invalidation and custody request he filed three weeks ago which led to this declaratory judgment. Mr. Crane specifically asked for you to have a duplicate."

"Thank you." Fox looked at Ethan. His jaw clenched at what he was about to say but he forced the words out.

"You can still see him at the Mansion whenever you want. You're his godfather, after all." No answer came so Ken took it as his cue to end the meeting.

"Now, the schedule discussed in Jane's request is iron-clad from the moment Judge Roberts approves of it. I repeat; any deviations from what is established in it will automatically ensure consequences. Be warned."

"I foresee no problem for Theresa and I, Mr. Howard."

"Mr. Winthrop?" Ken asked, looking at Ethan, whom had not totally recovered from the shock of losing Little Ethan.

"S..same, of course."

"Excellent. I will drive by the courthouse later today and fill this request, making it legal."

"And it'll be effective when?"

"Thursday at the latest."

"Excellent." Fox rose from his chair and glanced at his watch once more. Shaking hands with the hot-shot lawyer, he tenderly grabbed his wife's hand. "We better hurry if you want to be at the restaurant before Elizabeth."

With that, they walked out.

* * *

_Don't forget to review! It'll be much appreciated._


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